2024 Northern Lakes League....both divisions

irish_buffalo said:
Whitmer gig has a lot of potential for the right guy.

Clay gig will be difficult right off the rip as the Eagles lose a bunch and jump to the big boy side of things. However, the numbers are up and with the right recruiter :D they could be good.
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That’s almost every school. With the right recruiter that can be good. Just need open enrollment or be private.
 
How long does this version of the NLL continue with eleven teams? Will there ever be a twelfth? Or does it eventually all fall apart?
 
FremontKeith said:
How long does this version of the NLL continue with eleven teams? Will there ever be a twelfth? Or does it eventually all fall apart?
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I think most people are surprised it’s still a league. If Whitmer, with their 5 D1 college football recruits would have dominated the league it would have fallen apart already.
 
CC Track Fan said:
The only remote possible 12 team I see is Liberty-Benton.

It could fall apart at any time because there are parts that don't fit together very well.
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Dude it's Bedford not a D5 program. :ROFLMAO: Quit trying to drive a narrative that they want to add a school the size of Evergreen in Hancock County into the NLL
 
irish_buffalo said:
Does the Northview coach still have a job? I realize they have zero representation on here but if so I'm amazed.
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Agreed. It's unreal with the sheer size of Sylvania how bad both teams are
CC Track Fan said:
The only remote possible 12 team I see is Liberty-Benton.

It could fall apart at any time because there are parts that don't fit together very well.
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Dude it's Bedford not a D5 program. :ROFLMAO: Quit trying to drive a narrative that they want to add a school the size of Evergreen in Hancock County into the NLL
 
smurfyeah19 said:
Agreed. It's unreal with the sheer size of Sylvania how bad both teams are

Dude it's Bedford not a D5 program. :ROFLMAO: Quit trying to drive a narrative that they want to add a school the size of Evergreen in Hancock County into the NLL
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Bedford doesn't want to join this conference. There is no benefit to them whatsoever.

I give it another two years of Northview and Springfield being put in a bodybag in most sports before they talk to the other 5 about leaving PBurg/AW/Whitmer/Findlay in the dust and asking Maumee if they want to jump back into a conference that fits them way better than the old NLL or the NBC.
 
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smurfyeah19 said:
Dude it's Bedford not a D5 program. :ROFLMAO: Quit trying to drive a narrative that they want to add a school the size of Evergreen in Hancock County into the NLL
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Do you not understand what "remote possible" means. If Bedford wanted to be in the NLL they would already be in the NLL. That can actually be said about every other school but LB because they have not yet been kicked out of the BVC. That is why I said LB is the only remote possible team. Are they a good fit. Of course, not but both the NLL and LB have no other options so they might force that square peg into the round hole.
 
CC Track Fan said:
Do you not understand what "remote possible" means. If Bedford wanted to be in the NLL they would already be in the NLL. That can actually be said about every other school but LB because they have not yet been kicked out of the BVC. That is why I said LB is the only remote possible team. Are they a good fit. Of course, not but both the NLL and LB have no other options so they might force that square peg into the round hole.
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There is no possibility. LB wants to be in the NBC badly, not playing BG and Southview
ToledoGuy said:
Bedford doesn't want to join this conference. There is no benefit to them whatsoever.

I give it another two years of Northview and Springfield being put in a bodying in most sports before they talk to the other 5 about leaving PBurg/AW/Whitmer/Findlay in the dust and asking Maumee if they want to jump back into a conference that fits them way better than the old NLL or the NBC.
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Yes there absolutely is. Travel times would be much better and they would have neighboring rivalries. It really doesn't make sense that they aren't in the NLL, Bedford isn't even a 10 minute drive from Whitmer
 
smurfyeah19 said:
There is no possibility. LB wants to be in the NBC badly, not playing BG and Southview
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LB also wants badly to stay in the BVC and LB wants badly to join the NWC. LB doesn't get something just because the want it badly. If the NBC wanted LB they would already in the NBC. Of course, LB doesn't want to play BG and Southview but if they want a league it is their only option. LB would rather be in the NWCC than the NLL but the NWCC doesn't want them either.
 
CC Track Fan said:
LB also wants badly to stay in the BVC and LB wants badly to join the NWC. LB doesn't get something just because the want it badly. If the NBC wanted LB they would already in the NBC. Of course, LB doesn't want to play BG and Southview but if they want a league it is their only option. LB would rather be in the NWCC than the NLL but the NWCC doesn't want them either.
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The NBC is considering it if there were a 10th to tag along with them. I mentioned in the Summer that I had heard rumors of Port Clinton being interested. I can tell you I've heard nothing about Liberty Benton even being an option. If I'm not mistaken they do not even offer lacrosse and tennis. Also (even though it isn't an NLL sport) they'd be one of the few without a hockey program. They are a quality athletic department across the board but they simply need to be a tad bigger. Liberty Center would be a better fit in all honesty
 
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smurfyeah19 said:
The NBC is considering it if there were a 10th to tag along with them. I mentioned in the Summer that I had heard rumors of Port Clinton being interested. I can tell you I've heard nothing about Liberty Benton even being an option. If I'm not mistaken they do not even offer lacrosse and tennis. Also (even though it isn't an NLL sport) they'd be one of the few without a hockey program. They are a quality athletic department across the board but they simply need to be a tad bigger. Liberty Center would be a better fit in all honesty
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Which?
 
smurfyeah19 said:
There is no possibility. LB wants to be in the NBC badly, not playing BG and Southview

Yes there absolutely is. Travel times would be much better and they would have neighboring rivalries. It really doesn't make sense that they aren't in the NLL, Bedford isn't even a 10 minute drive from Whitmer
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And they would lose almost every game they play in that conference in most sports. They aren't going to join a conference where they stand no chance at being a Michigan playoff team because they must win 5 games to be eligible (something they almost certainly wouldn't do playing Whitmer, AW, Findlay, Perrysburg, etc. in the big school division). Hell, they refuse to even play Whitmer at this point in any sports, why would they go and join a conference with them?

If they join the small school division, they'd be driving to BG, Fremont, Napoleon, etc. which wouldn't even cut down on travel. Bedford to Napoleon and Bedford to Ross are longer drives than any they have to take in their current conference.
 
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ToledoGuy said:
And they would lose almost every game they play in that conference in most sports. They aren't going to join a conference where they stand no chance at being a Michigan playoff team because they must win 5 games to be eligible (something they almost certainly wouldn't do playing Whitmer, AW, Findlay, Perrysburg, etc. in the big school division). Hell, they refuse to even play Whitmer at this point in any sports, why would they go and join a conference with them?

If they join the small school division, they'd be driving to BG, Fremont, Napoleon, etc. which wouldn't even cut down on travel. Bedford to Napoleon and Bedford to Ross are longer drives than any they have to take in their current conference.
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Bedford has 1,400 boys. They are not going to be in the small school division. I'm not saying they'll join, just that they're the only one other than Lima Senior or Defiance that makes sense.
 
smurfyeah19 said:
Bedford has 1,400 boys. They are not going to be in the small school division. I'm not saying they'll join, just that they're the only one other than Lima Senior or Defiance that makes sense.
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Bedford was a member of the GLL for years and left for a reason. The SEC is a very secure conference for the Mules and of course with all schools being MHSAA members they are aligned on key dates for seasons which can slightly differ from the OHSAA rules. Football has different first contact and season start dates for instance.
 
The only options IMO for expansion would be Lima Sr., who the league clearly does not want, or Defiance, Tiffin Columbian, or Sandusky who are not knocking on the NLL's door.

Would be nice to add Sandusky to the Cardinal (they did defeat the Cardinal champs) due to their natural rivalry with Ross but there is really no incentive on their end (1 & 1/2 drive to Napoleon).
 
irish_buffalo said:
The only options IMO for expansion would be Lima Sr., who the league clearly does not want, or Defiance, Tiffin Columbian, or Sandusky who are not knocking on the NLL's door.

Would be nice to add Sandusky to the Cardinal (they did defeat the Cardinal champs) due to their natural rivalry with Ross but there is really no incentive on their end (1 & 1/2 drive to Napoleon).
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Agreed. Kick Clay up to the Big 6 and create a separate league with Springfield, Fremont Ross, Bowling Green, Southview, Napoleon, Sandusky, Tiffin Columbian & Bellevue. That'd be an awesome conference and then Clyde, Norwalk & Perkins can join the Bay schools. Willard can finally do a complete break and join the River entirely.
 
I'm very interested in seeing who Clay hires. They should take a slight short term dip, but their current freshman class is very good and they could be a real competitor in the near future if they make the right hire.
 
From the outside the NLL seems a cobbled together mess, It will survive as long as the members think it works.

If there is a change, it will come from the four schools in the middle, Clay, Northview, Ross, and Springfield. It is my understanding that every two years, two at a time, they switch from the big to the small division and vice versa. Am I correct about this? If I am correct, that would mean half the time you have a chance and half the time you don't. I wouldn't like that.

When those four get tired of it will they be able to find one school to join them and the smaller three to form a new and hopefully stable eight team league? Defiance has made it clear they aren't interested. Sandusky seems too geographically centered in the SBC and not motivated.

Could Tiffin Columbian be persuaded to leave the even less stable SBC?

Lima Senior doesn't seem like a fit, but i would prefer that occasional road trip more than playing Findlay, Whitmer, P'burg & AW half the time.
 
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chs1971 said:
From the outside the NLL seems a cobbled together mess, It will survive as long as the members think it works.

If there is a change, it will come from the four schools in the middle, Clay, Northview, Ross, and Springfield. It is my understanding that every two years, two at a time, they switch from the big to the small division and vice versa. Am I correct about this? If I am correct, that would mean half the time you have a chance and half the time you don't. I wouldn't like that.

When those four get tired of it will they be able to find one school to join them and the smaller three to form a new and hopefully stable eight team league? Defiance has made it clear they aren't interested. Sandusky seems too geographically centered in the SBC and not motivated.

Could Tiffin Columbian be persuaded to leave the even less stable SBC?

Lima Senior doesn't seem like a fit, but i would prefer that occasional road trip more than playing TCC, Whitmer, P'burg & AW half the time.
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If Maumee wouldn't be having the success that they are in the NBC, I bet they would be the prime candidate.

I think, inevitably, the middle schools aren't the ones who will precipitate dissolution of the current setup, it will be Northview and Springfield, who will be completely non-competitive in the primary sports and won't want to deal with an ever growing AW and Perrysburg along with Whitmer who is nearly twice their size. Those two hold all of the power, because they could simply jump with the other 6 teams and AW, PBurg, and Whitmer would be left out in the cold.
 
ToledoGuy said:
WHAT?!?! Bedford has like 1,200 total students man...you're way off.
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You're right, they combine them in Michigan instead of doing boys and girls. Bedford does have nearly 1,400 students though at 1,369. Divide that by 4 and multiply by 3 and you get an OHSAA number of 1,026. That's almost exactly Anthony Wayne's who has 1,039. So yes, Bedford would absolutely be in the larger division

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ToledoGuy said:
If Maumee wouldn't be having the success that they are in the NBC, I bet they would be the prime candidate.

I think, inevitably, the middle schools aren't the ones who will precipitate dissolution of the current setup, it will be Northview and Springfield, who will be completely non-competitive in the primary sports and won't want to deal with an ever growing AW and Perrysburg along with Whitmer who is nearly twice their size. Those two hold all of the power, because they could simply jump with the other 6 teams and AW, PBurg, and Whitmer would be left out in the cold.
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Yeah, at 555 size wise they are a good fit. Napoleon is around 450 so Maumee has roughly 25 more kids per grade, they're just terrible at sports to be frank. It's another reason I chuckle at all of this Liberty Benton chatter, they're exactly at 350 students in the latest enrollment which is smaller than Rossford's 380. Both Maumee & Rossford on paper are much better fits for the NLL's small division in almost every category except on field performance.
 
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ToledoGuy said:
If Maumee wouldn't be having the success that they are in the NBC, I bet they would be the prime candidate.

I think, inevitably, the middle schools aren't the ones who will precipitate dissolution of the current setup, it will be Northview and Springfield, who will be completely non-competitive in the primary sports and won't want to deal with an ever growing AW and Perrysburg along with Whitmer who is nearly twice their size. Those two hold all of the power, because they could simply jump with the other 6 teams and AW, PBurg, and Whitmer would be left out in the cold.
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I counted Northview and Springfield as two of the "middle schools."

Findlay makes some sense as the 8th. Right now I would rather play them than the other big 3. I don't know if playing down makes any sense for Findlay though.

Could the seven talk Maumee into coming back with AW & Perrysburg gone? Maybe. Right now most of the bottom seven of the NLL are really bad.

And that opens an NBC spot for Liberty Benton.
 
Rumblings of the Catholics coming back to either join the NLL in some fashion or the big public’s and Catholics forming something. Would be a lot better overall for the big schools. Add Lima and you have the best possible league in North West Ohio. Less record inflating games for a lot of these teams for a lot of these teams conference schedule.
 
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