Chartiers Valley boys' basketball coach Tim M cConnell knows what to expect from the latest realignment of sections by the WPIAL.

It means a new section, new opponents, some new travel plans and what McConnell expects will be some new defensive tactics from Moon Area coach Jeff Ackermann, a new rival in Section 4-AAA.

"He's probably going to flunk some of my players so they're academically ineligible when we play," McConnell said of Ackermann, who teaches at Chartiers Valley but is Moon's head coach. "It's going to be fun. We've [he and Ackermann] known each other for a long time and it should be a good rivalry."

Ackermann was an assistant coach at Chartiers Valley for McConnell for the 2000 season, when the Colts won the WPIAL Class AAA title. He took the head coaching job at Moon the next season and has been there since, but the two friends have never met as opposing coaches.

"He's someone I have always looked up to," Ackermann said of McConnell. "He's really helped me out as a coach and I've really enjoyed talking with him. I know all of their kids from teaching at Char Valley, so that's going to make it interesting."

Moon dropped down from Section 4-AAAA, where it won the section title last season, went 17-6 overall and made it to the WPIAL final. Section 4-AAA now includes not only the Tigers and Colts, but Montour, West Allegheny, Keystone Oaks, South Park and West Mifflin. Chartiers Valley, Keystone Oaks and South Park are holdovers from last year's section. West Allegheny moves over from Section 2-AAA and West Mifflin from Section 5-AAA.

The WPIAL realigns its basketball sections every two years based on changing enrollments.

One of the other key moves for 2008-09 has New Brighton shifting from Section 6-AA to Section 2-AA. The Lions leave behind perennial powers, and rivals, in Aliquippa and Beaver Falls. They will compete against Lawrence County teams Laurel, Mohawk, Shenango and Butler County's Summit Academy in addition to Rochester and Riverside.

On the girls' side, New Brighton will play in Section 2-AA with Beaver, Laurel, Mohawk, Neshannock, Riverside and Shenango.

"With the girls, it takes Beaver Falls out and with the boys we get away from three pretty good teams in Aliquippa, Beaver Falls and Center," New Brighton athletic director Joe Ursida said. "I had heard rumors that we were going to go north, but I wasn't really sure if it was true. I guess with the boys it will help us be a little more competitive.

"We've got to travel a little farther, so the bus companies will be happy. With the price of gas these days, you know they'll be making more money."

New Brighton's boys' team will have to make an additional adjustment. The Lions are looking for a new coach as well. Ursida said the school board hopes to fill the position in May.

Ackermann said he is happy with the realignment because the Tigers will play Montour and West Allegheny, which are natural geographic rivals.

"I think it's a good opportunity for us to play the schools we play in the other sports," Ackermann said. "We've got some rivalries there and that should be a good challenge."

McConnell also is looking forward to the challenges brought about by realignment. He believes the new section will be more competitive than the one the Colts were in last season. Travel also will be less of an issue with the team's farthest trip to West Mifflin.

"It's different, but I like it," McConnell said. "It's going to be a tougher section, I think, but I like that. It's the kind of thing that can get you prepared for the playoffs a little better. We've also got a lot of close games, in terms of distance and that should help more people get to the games. I'm looking forward to it."

So is Ackermann, although he knows when the dates of games between Moon and Chartiers Valley get closer, he'll be hearing more from both his students and his players. He expects the intensity of those games to be a notch or two higher.

"I think it's going to be fun, I really do," he said. "The kids at Char Valley have always been real supportive of our [Moon] team. They've come to a lot of our games. So this is going to be fun to play against them."