Rumors about the SWBL expansion to 12 teams...
- Thread starter Bless Em All
- Start date
Brookville to Ross is just as bad almost. You do realize that Harrison and Ross districts border each other do you not. Not really much farther to go to Harrison then it is Ross.
I agree. This isn’t helping them at all when it comes to the D2 playoffs. You get better by playing better teams in my opinion.
dograt
Well-known member
Once Talawanda and one other join (which has to be happening), Edgewood is basically trading Harrison, Northwest, and Mount Healthy for Bellbrook, Franklin and Monroe (plus the team that comes in with Talawanda).
I think that is a step UP in competition. Then if their crossover is Valley View? Eaton? Brookville? good football teams, even if they're smaller. Heck, SWOC schools get stuck weeks 4 and 5 scheduling and play Dayton city schools now. You can't convince me this won't be better
OUcats82
Well-known member
Unless there are some politics behind the scenes (which could never happen with high school sports), when all the dust settles, I think Talawanda will end up there and possibly Harrison.
That would create a pod of sorts where the former SWOC schools, along with Monroe and Franklin, nearly all bordering at least one other member district (I believe Franklin is separated from Monroe by Middletown City).
Mt. Healthy and most likely Northwest end up in the CMAC.
The CHL is pretty insular and likely is happy with their current arrangement. With the exception of Taylor, it fits into a pretty tight pocket geographically. Harrison is too big and Northwest I just don't see getting an invite.
If the SWBL would have them, I think Harrison would be a great addition. Great facilities that have all been upgraded recently, good fan base who seems to travel well (that could change if they are driving towards Dayton for games), solid academic profile etc. The wouldn't bring much in the way of baggage or potential for black eyes. I guess a question worth asking is would Harrison actually want to be in the league given some geography? As others have shared, it's not much further than Ross, but still a solid hour to most parts of the Dayton area.
Similar for Talawanda. They likely have some pull with Miami University for hosting league events etc. too.
That would create a pod of sorts where the former SWOC schools, along with Monroe and Franklin, nearly all bordering at least one other member district (I believe Franklin is separated from Monroe by Middletown City).
Mt. Healthy and most likely Northwest end up in the CMAC.
The CHL is pretty insular and likely is happy with their current arrangement. With the exception of Taylor, it fits into a pretty tight pocket geographically. Harrison is too big and Northwest I just don't see getting an invite.
If the SWBL would have them, I think Harrison would be a great addition. Great facilities that have all been upgraded recently, good fan base who seems to travel well (that could change if they are driving towards Dayton for games), solid academic profile etc. The wouldn't bring much in the way of baggage or potential for black eyes. I guess a question worth asking is would Harrison actually want to be in the league given some geography? As others have shared, it's not much further than Ross, but still a solid hour to most parts of the Dayton area.
Similar for Talawanda. They likely have some pull with Miami University for hosting league events etc. too.
ghsknightsfan
love the Knights and Grey Ghosts!
i’d bet Mount Healthy and Northwest are going to the CMAC- it actually works out well for everyone. would be nice if Finneytown and Deer Park moved on from the CHL- it is long overdue. if those all happened, Harrison and Talawanda to the CHL is not out of the realm of possibility. would fill a need and neither are outstanding in the money sports.
ghsknightsfan
love the Knights and Grey Ghosts!
i may get called crazy for this but hear me out!
Big Division
Ross
Edgewood
Talawanda
Wilmington
West Carrollton
Franklin
Monroe
Bellbrook
Small Division
Clinton Massie
Waynesville
Carlisle
Madison
Oakwood
Brookville
Eaton
Valley View
would require poaching West Carrollton but that division may be hard to pass up for them. this makes one division all D2/3 and the other all D4/5. it could save the SWBL and eliminate any unwanted crossovers.
Big Division
Ross
Edgewood
Talawanda
Wilmington
West Carrollton
Franklin
Monroe
Bellbrook
Small Division
Clinton Massie
Waynesville
Carlisle
Madison
Oakwood
Brookville
Eaton
Valley View
would require poaching West Carrollton but that division may be hard to pass up for them. this makes one division all D2/3 and the other all D4/5. it could save the SWBL and eliminate any unwanted crossovers.
CoachTreon
Active member
Why poach WC when Trotwood is right there...
ghsknightsfan
love the Knights and Grey Ghosts!
Trotwood is a better fit in the MVL. they could take WC’s spot. they’re also much farther out
oldguy7334
Member
I still not sure that the SWBL stays as the way it is, I still see the small teams bolting somewhere else. From what I heard is they were suppose to expand the small side not the big side.
winbypin
Well-known member
I think TC will have a team, barely. I don't know if they will be any good however. The new coach has been out recruiting current students that don't play a fall sport pretty hard. I think he has a few wrestlers committed.
cincysports4
Well-known member
Imagine having to drive from Ross to WIlmington.... Woof.
BigArrrow
Moderated User
Just as bad as Eaton to Massie
HSFB Fan
Well-known member
Trottwood struggles with JV teams and sports in general outside of football. The Dayton Public school league fits them best like the CMAC fits Mt Healthy best over all.
nwwarrior09
Well-known member
Problems fielding JV teams and competing in a number of sports...football and basketball those bigger SWBL schools want to stay as far away from them as possible.
OUcats82
Well-known member
Wilmington was actually an original member of the SWOC!
They may have been in the FAVC together once too?
BigArrrow
Moderated User
No small schools want in, its big schools that need in and big schools run the SWBL now. Talawanda got two more yes votes to join the SWBL with Ross and Edgewood getting accepted.
oldguy7334
Member
I don't agree with that, But that my opinion, I think the big side pushed the small schools away
Pull-to-Trap
Well-known member
And with the expanded playoffs it seems like you can always get enough points to get in as long as you win.
CoachTreon
Active member
No I get that... But WC has similar issues with fielding full teams at each level. So implying that they would be a great add (as opposed to trotwood) is ludicrous.
If (pick two of the three) Wilmington, Harrison, and/or Talawanda are added then the Large school group is grouped along I-71/I-275 with Bellbrook being your northern-most school and Harrison/Talawanda being your southern edge.
The only reason I recommended Northwest to the CHL is because NW offered every sport this past school year other than Boys Golf and Boys/Girls Swimming, and they'd still be able to offer those sports in a league format within the CHL.
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yakyak
Well-known member
TC should have a roster near 30 this yest. Dont want to be in the 20s
yakyak
Well-known member
Should be the exact same as last year record wise. But the gap between the top dogs will be greater and the bottom dwellers will be closer. They can beat everyone but MU and Riverside including NR.
NewOldBlood
Well-known member
The SWBL has allowed the larger schools to control the league since the original split. The SW side spent 2 decades beating the crap out the Buckeye side because the league forced two crossover games a year. There were some teams on the Buckeye side that had some good years but for the most part the crossover games were guaranteed losses each year. The problem is the smaller schools that make sense just bolted to new leagues for that very reason. There just are not that many D4/D5 schools in the area that fit in the SWBL or are unhappy in their current league. Expanding with bigger schools allows the league to put all the current D4 and D5 schools in one division and create a larger division made up of D2/D3 teams. What I believe will be the deciding factor for the small schools going forward, is how the league handles crossover games. Madison, Carlisle, etc...are not going to want to spend the next 10 years getting hammered by D2 Edgewood. I said earlier I believe Franklin, Monroe, Bellbrook and Ross will all be D2 in the not too distant future and all seem to be on an upswing within their programs.
oldguy7334
Member
I agree I think the upswing is those schools will be D2 soon. And Carlisle may grow but I don’t see much on the small side getting any bigger. I guess only time will tell. There is a lot of thoughts about this and about that. But we aren’t in those meetings with those schools that are unhappy. Who is stay the whole small side doesn’t bolt for other leagues or create one.
513arbitrator
New member
One small problem: they already tried that. It was called the FAVC, and the East side schools hated it - hated driving across town, hated the small gates for home games against the West side schools, so they broke away and formed the ECC.
I could see the ECC maybe taking Harrison only, because Harrison is able to field Fr and JV teams in the "non-revenue sports" (and it really isn't that bad of a drive on 275 if it's just for one game a year). Maybe Harrison goes independent in football (odd number would create scheduling issues) and plays in the ECC for all other sports? But MH and NW are non-starters due to limited/no Fr/JV teams and bad gates, and Talawanda is a non-starter for travel reasons.
With the growth in Monroe, Bellbrook, Franklin, and Edgewood to all be in D2 in the next few years. Is it crazy to think that Middletown could join them? Middletown has been on a sharp decline since the 2008-2011 years in pretty much every sport. They aren't a good fit in the GMC anymore and I'm not sure a move to the GWOC would fix any of there problems competing. It does sound crazy when you think about it, but is it really? I think from a competition it is a win win for the big side of the SWBL and for Middletown from a competition standpoint. There is always the chance that Middletown hits and massive upswing and I believe that would be the main deterrent.
I agree that Middletown is struggling in almost every aspect but I also think the powers that be will never allow them to "drop down" to what they consider a lesser conference. ECC maybe?
not a good idea, Middletown would dominate every sport once they get used to winning again
Bless Em All
Well-known member
Big question is, when will they invite Clinton Massie? They could complete with anyone in the expanded SWBL.