A plan to combine teams from the Cascade and Northwest conferences into football-only leagues next fall has been voted down by principals of the Cascade Conference schools.

That conference includes Lakewood, Archbishop Murphy, Cedarcrest, Cedar Park Christian-Bothell, Granite Falls, King’s, Sultan and South Whidbey high schools.

The principals voted Jan. 28 not to combine with the Northwest Conference to form 2A and 1A football-only leagues.

The plan to combine the 3A teams from Wesco and the Northwest conferences is still moving forward, Everett School District athletic director Robert Polk said.

Last week, several athletic directors who put the realignment plan together said they thought the proposal had enough support to pass.

Sultan athletic director Scott Sifferman said: “(They) voted 5-3 to leave the conference as is. … I was surprised. I’d like to think there might be another time to revisit” the issue.

A new wrinkle arose involving Granite Falls. It was the last school to qualify for the 2A classification when the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association released its final enrollment averages earlier this year. Granite Falls appealed to the WIAA to drop to 1A, citing declining enrollment, a trend they said is expected to continue over the next few years.

On Jan. 22, the WIAA denied the appeal.

Granite Falls was not in favor of joining perennially strong football programs such as Lynden, Sedro-Woolley and Archbishop Murphy in the proposed 2A league.

“We were directed by the school board and members of the community. They really believed that our kids were not prepared for it and it was not good for our program,” Granite Falls athletic director Joey Johnson said.

The plan for the 3A league remains in place. Squalicum and Ferndale will join Arlington, Marysville Getchell, Marysville Pilchuck, Oak Harbor and Stanwood in the Wesco 3A North.