Leagues they are a changin’ in North Central Ohio and not always for the good. Some of it is about population shifts, but in my opinion it’s more about attitudes.
This season, Ontario moves to the Northern Ohio League (NOL) and becomes one of its smallest schools. They are leaving the North Central Conference (NCC) — not by their choice — where they were one of the largest.
Lucas, also kicked out of the NCC, will help to form the reconfigured Mid-Buckeye Conference (MBC) along with Mansfield St. Peter’s, Mansfield Christian, Loudonville, Danville and East Knox.
St. Peter’s and Mansfield Christian will be members in all sports except for football, which they don’t participate in, and in both cases they will be part of a league for the first time in the major sports. That’s a good thing for both, in my opinion. It gives them a trophy to play for other than the postseason.
As far as Lucas is concerned, it’s probably as good as they could hope for. The Cubs have enjoyed some success in both football and boys’ basketball, but the last few years, have been a struggle, especially for the boys’ basketball team, so a fresh start in a new league will be a positive.
Many in the Clear Fork system are screaming they are too small to compete in the Ohio Cardinal Conference on a consistent basis. But, where would they go? They are too big for the Firelands Conference, which includes Plymouth and Crestview, among others. The Colts would seem like the 500 pound gorilla in the already mentioned MBC. The best fit would be the newly formed Northern 10, which begins play in the 2014-2015 school year. That league contains schools like Colonel Crawford, Wynford and Bucyrus – all schools similar in size to Clear Fork. But, those schools have already said at least three times they don’t want to be in a league that includes the Colts. It’s kind of like asking Alyssa Milano for a date, after the third rejection you figure it isn’t going to happen.
I had a guy from the valley say to me, “Why not just the old Richland County League, it was good enough for me.” That was a league that existed prior to 1960 and included Bellville, Butler, Lexington, Lucas, Ontario, Plymouth, Shiloh and Union. Well, first of all, Bellville, Butler, Shiloh and Union (now part of the Crestview system) don’t have their own high schools, so that is half your league right there. Clear Fork, and especially Lexington, are too big for the rest. Full disclosure – one must understand this guy that suggested the Richland County League is old enough to have seen Moses sign the national anthem. Answer for Clear Fork? Stay right where you are.
I do believe that the schools in the OCC missed their chance. It came in the winter of 2012-2013, with the announced break up of NCC the previous fall. There was some discussion about adding Ontario, Galion, also booted from the NCC, and Shelby to form two divisions in the OCC. I liked that idea and still do. It likely would have included Mansfield Senior, Madison, Ashland, Lexington, Wooster and West Holmes in a larger division. The others, Clear Fork, Orrville, Galion, Ontario, Shelby and Canal Fulton Northwest, in a smaller division. Looks pretty good, right?
Well, not everybody thought so, most notably Shelby. The powers that be there told me they couldn’t compete in that league. I beg to differ, I think the Whippets are selling themselves short.
Shelby already plays all of the schools in that expanded Ohio Cardinal Conference in most sports, outside of Mansfield Senior and they compete very well with them. Although I think the Orrville girls were better last season, the Lady Whippets certainly could compete with them in girls’ basketball. Shelby and Galion had some very good football games when both where in the NOL; some might call it a rivalry. Shelby and Ontario already play in almost, if not every sport.
Finally, I have said it before and I will say it again. Athletically, Mansfield Senior would be better off in a league with Sandusky, Lima Senior, Fremont Ross and Findlay from a competitive standpoint–if you could get some civic minded person to put up the money for the fuel costs.
After years of toil and sweat behind radio station microphones, longtime broadcaster Jeff Swank joined the new generation of sports followers on the web. Swank launched his internet radio station with nothing more than some wire, a box with some knobs and switches, and an itch to do much more than just scratch the surface of everything sports.
Richland Source is proud to introduce Jeff as a writer focused on high school sports. He will contribute a weekly column and analysis of a featured game of the week from one of our area high schools.
In addition to his work at Richland Source, Jeff provides complete high school sports coverage for over 70 Ohio schools at his web site, www.swankonsports.com.
