After 25 years of competing within the North Central Conference (NCC), Ontario athletics will now participate in the Northern Ohio League (NOL). Ontario will join six other league members: Bellevue, Norwalk, Shelby, Sandusky, Tiffin Columbian, and Willard.
Newly appointed Athletic Director, Chris Miller, stated, “In conversations I’ve had with coaches and the community, it seems that people are excited about the switch.”
In the winter of 2012, a majority of the NCC members elected to form a new league called the Northern 10 Athletic Conference, leaving only four remaining schools in the NCC, including Galion, Lucas, Ontario, and Upper Sandusky. Subsequently, the NCC dissolved after the 2012-2013 school year.
“I think it was a little bit of a surprise when the NCC went under,” said Miller. “Ontario schools considered joining a few different leagues and ultimately landed upon the NOL. I think based on school size and travel we’ve made a good decision.”
Although travel to the NOL schools will increase, Miller is hoping that ticket sales at the home athletic competitions will offset the added expense of travel.
Chris Smith, Ontario High School Principal, noted that the average traveling distance will be about 33 miles. “We will travel farther to three of the northern schools, but we currently play four of the schools in many non-league games,” he said.
The head football coach at Ontario, Scott Kreger, stated, “We as a staff are extremely excited to be joining a great league like the NOL. It has a very great reputation and the schools that are part of it are all very, very good schools.”
The football team will compete against some fresh faces, both conference teams and non-league teams, including Norwayne, Norwalk, Vermilion, Bellevue, Sandusky, and Tiffin Columbian.
Kreger commented, “The young men are really excited for the upcoming season. We know that we will have to be both physically and mentally ready every week to compete with the schools of the NOL.”
Jordan Campbell, senior football player at Ontario High School, is looking forward to the league switch. “I like playing against tough teams and I’ve been watching films of the new teams we’ll play since January,” he said.
Ontario High School’s football season kicks off August 30 when the Warriors face the Lexington Minutemen at Copeland Field.
