EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a three-part series looking at schools shifting league and conference affiliations.
MANSFIELD, Ohio — There is a practical solution to north central Ohio’s high school athletic conference quandary, but it would involve an idea nobody wants to entertain.
Consolidation.
The topic is taboo for any community whose identity is tied closely to its local high school. It is, however, worth a closer look.
Before we go any further, some concessions are in order. I am willing to concede that an issue as weighty as school district consolidation would not be determined by something as trivial as a school’s conference affiliation as long as those who would punch holes in my argument concede that a school’s conference affiliation would at least be factored into the equation.
So without further ado, here is my modest proposal.
The Ohio Cardinal Conference, which includes Mansfield Senior, Madison and Lexington, will be down to seven members in the fall of 2017 when Clear Fork leaves for the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. The OCC wants to add an eighth member, but officials are having a hard time pinpointing a school that fits the conference’s geographic and enrollment profile.
The OCC’s ideal dance partner exists in nearby Crawford County. The only problem is that partner is currently three separate school districts — Galion, Crestline and Colonel Crawford.
Crawford County had an official population of 43,784 during the most recent decennial census in 2010, according to US Census Bureau figures. A July 2014 estimate shows the county’s population dipped to 42,480, 58th out of 88 Ohio counties. Crawford County ranks 78th out of 88 in land area (401.79 square miles).
Yet a county with a relatively small population and land area (think busing) has six public high schools.
By comparison, Holmes County, which has a slightly higher population (43,898) and total area (422.53 square miles) has just two public high schools — West Holmes and Hiland. Richland County, which has nearly three times the population of Crawford County, has nine public high schools.
The Galion, Crestline and Colonel Crawford school districts occupy the southeastern third of the county. Combined, they cover 157.7 square miles. The three high schools all are located within 7.3 miles of one another.
While there are any number of obstacles that would have to be overcome before the consolidation of Galion, Crestline and Colonel Crawford into one district could occur, for argument’s sake let’s assume all those hurdles have been cleared. I’ll call the new high school Crawford East.
The new Crawford East High School would have an enrollment of 326 boys and 367 girls, according to the most recent figures provided by the Ohio Department of Education. It would be similar in size to Madison (333 boys, 352 girls).
Given its proximity to U.S. 30, Crawford East (assuming grades 10 through 12 would be housed at the current Galion High School) would be within roughly an hour of every other school in the Ohio Cardinal Conference. The longest drive would be 54 miles to West Holmes.
Before a consolidated Crawford East could join the OCC, Galion, Crestline and Colonel Crawford would have to withdraw from their current conferences. This would be a surprisingly painless transition for all parties involved.
Galion is a member of the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference. If the Tigers left, Northern Ohio League refugee Shelby could take Galion’s place in the MOAC. The NOL will disband after the 2016-17 school year, with most of its constituency joining the Sandusky Bay Conference. The SBC will have 21 members, including Shelby, split into three divisions in the fall of 2017. Shelby investigated the possibility of joining the MOAC when it became clear the NOL was in trouble. In terms of enrollment, Shelby would fit nicely in the MOAC. Geographically, visits to Marion County would be more attractive than trips to Oak Harbor, Port Clinton and Vermilion.
Colonel Crawford is currently a member of the Northern 10 Athletic Conference. The name is a little misleading as there are currently only nine members in the N10 after Crestline’s departure in the fall of 2015. The Northern 10, which is actually the Northern 9, could become the Northern 8 without much logistical red tape.
The N10 includes Crawford County’s other three school districts: Bucyrus, Wynford and Buckeye Central. Colonel Crawford, Wynford and Buckeye Central have been conference partners since 1963. Breaking that bond might be a hard sell in North Robinson.
There is an argument to be made for the consolidation of Wynford, Bucyrus (the high schools are less than two miles apart) and Buckeye Central. That grouping would also make a nice addition to the Ohio Cardinal Conference, but I digress.
Crestline left the Northern 10 for the Mid-Buckeye Conference. The MBC, which includes Richland County schools Lucas, Mansfield Christian and St. Peter’s, is on unstable ground as Danville announced its intention to leave in the fall of 2017 for the new Knox Morrow Athletic Conference. If Crestline withdrew, the MBC would have just five members and three of those schools (Mansfield Christian, St. Peter’s, Kidron Central Christian) don’t field football teams. MBC member Loudonville has announced it would join the Principals Athletic Conference as a football-only member in the fall of 2017.
But what if the Knox Morrow Athletic Conference expanded to include Lucas, Mansfield Christian, St. Peter’s and Loudonville? St. Peter’s would be the northernmost school and the trip to Centerburg, the southernmost school, would be 38.7 miles and 46 minutes. Loudonville, which is slightly further east than Danville, would be less than an hour from Cardington, the westernmost school.
Six of the 10 football-playing schools in this new-look KMAC (a new name would be in order) would be in Division VI. There would be two Division VII schools, one Division V school and one Division IV school.
In basketball, six of the 12 schools would be in Division IV. Five would be in Division III and one would be in Division II.
If the KMAC expanded, that would most likely mean the end of the MBC. Kidron Central Christian would be left out in the cold, but KCC has existed primarily as an independent since its inception in 1961.
The consolidation of three Crawford County school districts into one could help stabilize the Ohio Cardinal Conference and the Mid-Ohio Athletic Conference and strengthen the new Knox Morrow Athletic Conference.
So what’s the problem?
All three schools involved have proud athletic traditions. Wouldn’t their legacies be lost in the pages of history?
They don’t have to be.
Mansfield Senior and Malabar consolidated in the fall of 1989, with Malabar’s Brown and Orange replacing Senior High’s Red and White. Even casual city basketball fans still can recall the great boys and girls teams at Malabar in the 1980s. And in the 27 years since the merger, the Mansfield Senior boys basketball program has averaged almost 18 wins a season.
Like Malabar and Mansfield Senior, Galion, Crestline and Colonel Crawford could embrace their past while forging a bright new athletic future.
