4-3-15 Conference Realignment

Platte Valley Conference close to merger with Highway 275

By JASON LAWRENCEManaging editor

The shift in the high school conference landscape that began in February when the Grand River Conference added St. Joseph Christian, Trenton, North Andrew and Pattonsburg for the 2016-17 school year took another step Wednesday when Platte Valley Conference officials voted 7-0 to move forward with integrating into the Highway 275 Conference.On Monday, March 30, Highway 275 officials voted 8-0 to extend an invitation to the PVC schools to merge for the 2016-17 school year.There hasnt been a big conference shift like this since you may have to go back to the 1950s when the Platte Valley Conference was first created, Platte Valley Conference Chairman and South Nodaway Superintendent Johnnie Silkett said. It hasnt been in our lifetime. We havent seen a shift like this. No one really thought (the GRC expansion) was going to happen, but it did.In addition to North Andrew and Pattonsburg exiting the PVC, Stanberry, Albany and Worth County which were all football-only members of the 275 also departed for the 16-team GRC, which will offer both 8- and 11-Man football divisions.We kind of got caught in the crossfire, Silkett said.That left the PVC with just four football-playing schools and the 275 with just six, that is until mid-February when the Missouri State High School Activities Association approved a football co-op between South Holt and Nodaway-Holt, further inhibiting both conferences futures.When the GRC basically realigned to have an 8-Man football division, that was going to drop us down to five teams, which technically depending on how you read our constitution would have voided a conference championship and the ability for our kids to get postseason recognition in any of our 275 sports, Mound City Superintendent Ken Eaton said. Obviously, if this goes through with the PVC and we become a bigger conference, were basically back to the old days when we had nine schools in for football.The next step is for the Platte Valley schools boards of education to discuss the merger and approve or disapprove at their next school board meeting. Silkett said the meetings are all scheduled between April 12 and April 20, and a final decision should be announced following the meetings.Overall, looking at this thing, none of us want to see the old ways go away, Eaton said. The 275 is a really old conference, the PVC is a really old conference. Weve been strong for years and years and years. As we look at our enrollments drop and the way things are changing, we had to look to the future.Both Eaton and Silkett acknowledged that enrollments have dropped at all of the remaining PVC and 275 schools, and with the increasing prevalence of cooperative agreements, a conjoined conference helps foster long-term sustainability.We could have very easily just done this for football, Eaton said. That was an early on discussion point, but as we got to looking at it, I just threw it out there If we dont do this, were going to end up doing this in everything eventually anyway. If were going to go through the steps and the process of taking this to our boards, lets just look at the whole thing.The potential for co-ops and enrollment shrinkage also offer a benefit, though, Silkett said. The level of parity in the conference would be stronger than it has been in years prior.It makes us a very competitive league, Silkett said. When teams have good athletes, theyre gonna have a chance to win. And thats a great conference when you can do that. This is going to be a highly-competitive conference. That gives you hope, even for your small schools.If the integration is approved, the 275 would be restored to nine football-playing members North-West Nodaway, Rock Port, East Atchison (Tarkio/Fairfax) , SNNH, Mound City, South Nodaway/Jefferson, Stewartsville and Southwest Livingston, which is a football-only member creating just one hole for a non-conference opponent each year.The league would sponsor 15 schools for basketball North Nodaway, West Nodaway, Rock Port, Tarkio, Fairfax, Nodaway-Holt, South Holt, Mound City, Northeast Nodaway, Jefferson, South Nodaway, DeKalb, Stewartsville, Osborn and Union Star which also leaves very few opportunites for non-conference games outside of the tournament slate.With basketball, were looking at 15 schools, so basically our schedule is going to get pretty much made then well have a couple games to go after, Silkett said. I think we can spread those out throughout the year for us to get some non-conference games.Silkett added the conference would not be separated into divisions, meaning a true conference champion would be crowned at the end of the season.Thats a benefit as well not having to search out games every two years because your conference alignment is set, Eaton said.While the Platte Valley Conference Tournament, which is played at the beginning of basketball season, would no longer truly exist, Silkett said the hope is to continue the tournament under the moniker Platte Valley Invitational.Theres going to be some additions and subtractions, but we have every intention of keeping that, he said. We really want to keep that night at Northwest, too. I think were all pretty committed to doing that.Silkett also said some of the other tournaments such as the Northwest Missouri Tournament could be moved to accommodate more time for conference contests.The integrated Highway 275 Conference would also sponsor academic team (16 teams), track (13 teams), volleyball (7 teams) and softball (6 fall teams, 1 spring). Silkett said golf (5 teams) and cross country (6 boys teams, 7 girls teams) could be added as conference-sponsored sports in the future.One sport which will be discussed further should the merger happen is baseball. Currently, North Nodaway, West Nodaway, East Atchison, Northeast Nodaway and South Nodaway/Jefferson play under the Northwest Missouri Baseball Conference banner, but all of the schools would be part of the 275 under the proposal.Thats something well discuss if we want to bring into the conference or not, Silkett said.Tentatively, officials from both conferences are scheduled to meet Thursday, April 9 to begin discussions on a constitution and start forming committees. Silkett said football would require the most immediate attention as far as scheduling and deciding on All-Conference selection criteria.I really feel very positive about the direction were going to go, Silkett said. Right now, were just kind of wait and see to make sure all the schools in our conference ratify. There once that happens, well go from there.While nothing is set in stone yet, the foundation for the future has been laid.I think they bring a lot of good things to the table, we bring some things that will be helpful for kids to the table, and I think its going to work out and over time, Eaton said. Once we get the kinks worked out, its going to be very beneficial for all our kids.