Leipsic Leaving BVC
- Thread starter jafo
- Start date
RollingTrain
Well-known member
I have to admit I didn’t see that coming...but that being said, the BVC never replaced Hopewell-Loudon and has issues with numbers when it comes to football and the smallest schools. They should have been more proactive. To me this is a huge setback for the BVC. More importantly, what happens to Liberty-Benton?
Cedar_Point
Well-known member
Likely headed to the Northwest Conference
BREAKING NEWS: Leipsic High School will be leaving the Blanchard Valley Conference after the 2021-22 season. Leipsic school board voted 5-0 in Monday's board of education meeting to leave conference. Leipsic has been member of BVC for football since 1965 and all sports since 1971
Leipsic AD Gary Kreinbrink in phone interview just now: "We were just unsure of the football situation in our conference." Noted that some schools are continuing to get bigger, while other schools are among smallest in state.
Kreinbrink said what conference Leipsic will be going next is "something I don't want to get into right now." However, he said: "We certainly have a plan."
Leipsic AD Gary Kreinbrink in phone interview just now: "We were just unsure of the football situation in our conference." Noted that some schools are continuing to get bigger, while other schools are among smallest in state.
Kreinbrink said what conference Leipsic will be going next is "something I don't want to get into right now." However, he said: "We certainly have a plan."
Dr. Frasier Crane
Active member
The BVC will not exist as it currently is in 3-4 years. Van Buren, Liberty Benton, McComb, PG, and Arlington will all be in new leagues.
if they form one, go get Lima Central Catholic and you have some very good football and hoops (possibly) in the future
The Dock
Persona Non Grata
What exactly are the root issues with the BVC? I was at a McComb game in 2014 and that was a pretty grounded community with a tremendous program. Most of the Hancock County schools are within a short drive of each other, right? Is it just a matter of rising competitive imbalance between McComb, Leipsic, Arlington and PG (et al) versus similarly sized North Baltimore, Arcadia, Cory-Rawson etc? I realize Vanlue is limited.
Didn’t the BVC adapt some Byzantine scheduling method also (like why Crestline, lol, was playing BVC teams?)
Didn’t the BVC adapt some Byzantine scheduling method also (like why Crestline, lol, was playing BVC teams?)
RollingTrain
Well-known member
They expanded, went to two divisions, then lost H-L to the SBC and never replaced them. Crestline then took their place as a schedule filler as a way to make things easy for both Crestline and the BVC. That will end after this year.
From a football prospective, there’s a gap between the top/middle and the bottom. Vanlue, Cory-Rawson and Arcadia are 8-man candidates. North Baltimore has gotten numbers up but as a body of work over the last 20 years isn’t too good.
Then you have Liberty-Benton, McComb, Arlington, Van Buren, Pandora-Gilboa and Riverdale left.
Now they are down to 10 teams. What do they do for scheduling? Who caves and goes 8-man?
The obvious move for Leipsic is to the NWC. But why wait on announcing that?
From a football prospective, there’s a gap between the top/middle and the bottom. Vanlue, Cory-Rawson and Arcadia are 8-man candidates. North Baltimore has gotten numbers up but as a body of work over the last 20 years isn’t too good.
Then you have Liberty-Benton, McComb, Arlington, Van Buren, Pandora-Gilboa and Riverdale left.
Now they are down to 10 teams. What do they do for scheduling? Who caves and goes 8-man?
The obvious move for Leipsic is to the NWC. But why wait on announcing that?
Last edited:
Leipsic cites size disparities.
Leipsic said they have a plan in place. Approval of the NWC has to happen in order for them to make an announcement. Common denominator sports and offerings have to be key. That said, the dominos are falling. Don't be surprised if McComb, Arlington, or PG decide they want a piece of the NWC pie as well. I would also not rule out the NWC trying to still get an NWCC school or a SCAL school (Loramie) for football only. There are also gaps to fill to strengthen women's sports, such as softball, volleyball, and soccer that will bring schools in. This is the first of what will likely be 2-3 schools to the NWC in the next couple of years.
CC Track Fan
Well-known member
You got two schools growing LB and VB and the rest staying flat or getting smaller some faster than others. Male top 3 enrollment ranges from 31(Vanlue) to 177(LB). That cannot last for very long.
BirdDog10
Well-known member
Why would the NWC go out of their way to pick up another football only school? If the Leipsic to NWC move is definite (seems like it is) then the NWC is left right where they were before Paulding leaves, with 8 football teams and an easy 7 week conference schedule with no bye weeks for schools to fill. The only reason they would need a football-only school is if they're expecting another full time conference addition like Perry, Parkway, DSJ, Patrick Henry, or another BVC school
A full time conference addition is what is needed to suppliment other sports. A football only fills the gap that LCC left years ago. If one domino falls out of the NWC, then we are stuck in the same position. A football only guarantees that sport won't be hurt. Right now, we are replacing every sport I can think of with Leipsic besides possibly wrestling and soccer? Maybe they have one or both. Haven't looked that far into it.
I do like your thinking, though. Lets get another full time or two. This is far from the end of "wanted" additions.
BirdDog10
Well-known member
The gap left by LCC created easier scheduling for the whole league. With LCC, league games would be weeks 2-10 with a random bye week for each team, forcing Grove to make unnecessary road trips up to Evergreen or to Columbus to play Bishop Hartley. After they left, the entire conference schedule fits in weeks 4-10, with 3 non-conference games at the beginning of the year. With Leipsic filling Paulding's spot, that situation will continue. Why would they want to screw that up for a football only school that is an hour drive for some members?
Keeps us from having members that have to pick up 3 OOC games. For example. My Knights play a MAC (Parkway) and two GMC (Wayne Trace and Hicksville) every year. Long lasting relationships. With the GMC adding Paulding, 3 OOC games is put in jeopardy for us if anyone else jumps in. Now we could be looking for one of those GMC to drop us. While the GMC will remain an 8 team football conference and it could technically NOT effect us, when dominos fall like the BVC (potential multiple schools), that leaves gaps that the entire area has to fill. I would rather have weeks 3-10 filled with two OOC than 4-10 and still need 3 OOC if teams start jumping to other leagues where we all pick up OOC games.
FYI, Grove now has a spot to fill because they had Leipsic on their schedule as an OOC for the next couple of years.
BirdDog10
Well-known member
I understand that, but finding OOC games weeks 1-3 and keeping all of the local OOC rivalry games is a lot less headache than finding a non-conference opponent in a random week between 2-10.
And slightly unrelated, but I’m sure administration at Grove is more than happy to sacrifice a non-league opponent to replace the long drive to Paulding with a 20 minute drive to a county rival. The Leipsic addition for Grove specifically is great news
BirdDog10
Well-known member
i wouldn’t be shocked if this leads to massive BVC fallout and a new conference coming from what stable schools remain
Makes sense. We will see. Could see a twelve team conference with two sides. Could even add a non-football school in that scenario since Lincolnview doesn't have football. There is still a possibility of PG, Patrick Henry, Perry, Loramie, Arlington, etc. joining the NWC. We are far from out of the woods on what all will transpire. Interestingly enough, Grove will be a big voice in the room as they are a dual conference member already. It'll make for some good conversation as to if any new teams join beyond Leipsic.
RollingTrain
Well-known member
If it was as simple as Leipsic to the NWC, that would have been announced with this move. Leipsic didn't leave without a concrete plan sign, sealed and delivered. There almost has to be other schools involved. I could be very, very wrong, but it's just odd the way it was announced. The NWC would have already had to vote Leipsic in before they left another conference. I can't see their administration allowing them to float in the air.
The BVC is in a pickle now in my eyes with football scheduling. Now you almost have to go back to a nine-game conference slate, losing a NC game and having L-B playing Vanlue again. Neither of those is a good thing.
If the NWC is indeed taking in Leipsic, who would be the northern most school, why not try and add McComb and L-B for a northern division?
Update: Leipsic accepts NWC invitation « The VW independent
Van Wert, Ohio breaking news and local information from the Van Wert Independent.
thevwindependent.com
Posted on the NWC next move thread. Invite is official. Leipsic should respond with their next board meeting.......that said, I would be shocked if LB would get an invite. They are a much larger school than those in the NWC. However, we do have coaches across girls and boys sports with ties. I would say McComb is a possibility. There are also other Allen County and even southern county schools which could be considered. This shores up the conference for the short term. I have heard on multiple occasions that we will see the NWC try to expand further than one school.
ghsknightsfan
love the Knights and Grey Ghosts!
it would be nice if someone could create a map of area teams and color code their conference affiliation. so people can see it for geographical purposes
BREAKING NEWS: The Northwest Conference has extended an invitation to Leipsic High School to join the conference after the 2021-22 season, NWC president Brad Mendenhall confirmed in phone interview. Leipsic school board voted Monday night to leave the BVC after 2021-22 season.
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
37m
Mendenhall said NWC had meeting with administrators yesterday afternoon and voted unanimously to extend invitation to Leipsic. Leipsic was one of 5 schools the NWC reached out in sending letters asking if they would be interested in joining the conference
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
32m
The invitation comes after Paulding announced in February plans to leave the NWC and join the Green Meadows Conference. Mendenhall added that the NWC has not extended any offers to other schools to join conference, just Leipsic.
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
37m
Mendenhall said NWC had meeting with administrators yesterday afternoon and voted unanimously to extend invitation to Leipsic. Leipsic was one of 5 schools the NWC reached out in sending letters asking if they would be interested in joining the conference
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
32m
The invitation comes after Paulding announced in February plans to leave the NWC and join the Green Meadows Conference. Mendenhall added that the NWC has not extended any offers to other schools to join conference, just Leipsic.
Good info. Yes. One domino at a time. 5 schools considered and on the table. I would say that after the Leipsic decision is finalized, they will take a look at needs for other schools.BREAKING NEWS: The Northwest Conference has extended an invitation to Leipsic High School to join the conference after the 2021-22 season, NWC president Brad Mendenhall confirmed in phone interview. Leipsic school board voted Monday night to leave the BVC after 2021-22 season.
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
37m
Mendenhall said NWC had meeting with administrators yesterday afternoon and voted unanimously to extend invitation to Leipsic. Leipsic was one of 5 schools the NWC reached out in sending letters asking if they would be interested in joining the conference
Courier Sports
@Courier_Sports
·
32m
The invitation comes after Paulding announced in February plans to leave the NWC and join the Green Meadows Conference. Mendenhall added that the NWC has not extended any offers to other schools to join conference, just Leipsic.
Basement Bias
Well-known member
Any idea who the other 4 would be? Probably more teams in Putnam County and east?
CC Track Fan
Well-known member
I think football will fix itself as next year will be the last year Vanlue will field an 11 man team. If not the BVC could just vote them out for football to keep an even number of teams.
Not sure exactly. Pandora Gilboa, Perry, Patrick Henry, Parkway, DSJ are all schools that come to mind or have been in conversations. Again, I will say that I have heard alot about Fort Loramie. From people in the know. Not that the invite will be extended if the NWC is going deep into Putnam County.