To read Part 1, click here.

In Part 1 of this series, I examined the league options that Louisville is considering after the Leopards were abandoned by its seven fellow Northeastern Buckeye Conference members.  Here is a review:

OPTION 1:  PIE IN THE SKY LEAGUE (Alliance, Canton South, Dover, Lake, Louisville, Marlington, New Philadelphia, and Northwest)

Fit for Louisville:  A

My predicted chance of happening:  0.5%

 

OPTION 2:  TWO-TIER FEDERAL LEAGUE (big and small school divisions)

Fit for Louisville:  A-

My predicted chance of happening:  2%

 

OPTION THREE:  ALL-AMERICAN CONFERENCE (20 schools mostly based in the Youngstown Area)

Fit for Louisville:  C-

My predicted chance of happening:  7.5%

 

OPTION 4:   EIGHT-TEAM FEDERAL LEAGUE 

FIT FOR LOUISVILLE:  C-

My predicted chance of happening:  15%

I feel Louisville’s future likely comes down to a three-horse race.  The Federal League is one choice.  Let’s now look at the other top contenders:

 OPTION 5:  THE SUBURBAN LEAGUE

This league, centered in neighboring Summit County to the north, has been in existence since 1949 in various forms.  In 2013, after charter member Green announced it was moving to the Federal League, the Suburban League put plans into motion that eventually ended up with its current two-division line-up.  Eight teams are in the larger-school National Division, and seven are in the smaller-school American Division.

Louisville Athletic Director John Twinem said that Louisville has had several positive discussions so far with Suburban League officials.   Adding the Leopards would put the American Division at the ideal number of eight schools.  Here are the current large division members:

Because each division has eight teams, Louisville would not be required to play any cross-over games against these schools.  This is what the smaller-school division would look like:

Enrollment-wise, this league appears to be a very good fit for Louisville.  The Leopards would definitely have an adjustment to make after always being the biggest and most successful school in the NBC.  But these schools would provide a much better challenge for Louisville athletes throughout league play.  Louisville’s steady Friday night football diet of second half running clocks would now be few and far between.  Aurora (9-2), Copley (9-2), and Highland (6-5) all made the play-offs last year, while Barberton went 7-3.  And the five schools bigger than Louisville are Division II in football, which would help in accumulating play-off points.

Since 2010, LHS boys’ and girls’ teams have won NBC titles 50% of the time.  That title rate would definitely decrease with a jump to the Suburban.  But the better competition would likely elevate Louisville sports programs while also making for much more exciting games for Leopard fans.  Additionally, the close enrollment figures allow Louisville teams to have a fair opportunity to be competitive and successful on the playing field.  That issue is a great concern when considering a leap to the Federal League and its much bigger schools.  The Federal Leagues average enrollment is 732 boys, with Lake being the smallest at 447 boys.

Of course, the glaring red flag is travel.  Currently, the average NBC road trip is 25 minutes; the longest is 41 minutes to Carrollton.  That would now be the second shortest drive.  The 48-minute average would be a big change for Louisville fans, as well as for the athletes riding a bus on a Tuesday night.  Most of the drives would be through populated areas, which brings the perks of highway travel and nice restaurant options.  But those who travel north know that rush hour traffic around Akron can be a bear.  Furthermore, those Suburban League opponents would also have to make those same long trips to Constitution Town, which may hamper ticket sales.

So for Louisville, it may come down to choosing between the shorter travels of the Federal League (average trip time of 21 minutes), or the more evenly balanced competition level of the Suburban League.

FIT FOR LOUISVILLE:  B-

LIKELIHOOD OF HAPPENING:  47%

 OPTION 6:  A NEW LEAGUE

Louisville Athletic Administrator John Twinem state that he, along with other Louisville officials, have had informal discussions with schools in Stark and surrounding counties about forming a new conference of schools.  He felt it is best to not to name those schools at this time.   A minimum of six schools would be needed to get the league off the ground.  That solid foundation would hopefully attract more area schools in the near future.

This new league option is appealing for several reasons.  One is that it is likely to include some Stark County schools.  Local schools mean bigger crowds and bigger rivalries.  And the creation of a new league would allow Louisville to have heavy input in finding a group of opponents that would provide challenging, intriguing match-ups.  These opponents would raise the performance level of LHS sports programs, rather than overwhelm them.

 

This proposed union has one enormous hurdle to overcome.  This new marriage would necessitate some schools to get a divorce from their current conference homes.  Leaving a league is not like breaking up with your junior high sweetheart by passing a note in math class (or sending a text message or doing Snapchat or Instagram or whatever new-fangled tech things these young whippersnappers use nowadays).  Many schools have strong, long-term relationships with fellow league members.  A departure can have some long-lasting ripple effects.

On the other hand, competitive balance has become an ever-growing issue in high school sports.  League set-ups are more fragile than ever, with schools switching conference dance partners to find a better fit for their student-athletes. A year ago, the Inter-Valley Conference added five teams to create big-small division set-up for long-term stability.  That IVC gain created a loss of two teams for the Principals’ Athletic Conference (PAC-7).  In order to survive, the PAC-7 added three schools.  One school came from the Ohio Cardinal Conference, putting the O.C.C. in a bind.  The IVC also got one East Central Ohio League school, upsetting the E.C.O.L.’s two-division set-up of five teams each.  The Suburban and Federal Leagues also had to adjust to movement in recent years.

These domino effects have put many schools on notice as to their long-term future.  The difficulties and uncertain future that Louisville is now facing is surely a wake-up call to many area schools.  Louisville work to form a new league may provide a safe, secure harbor for area schools on unsure ground.

FIT FOR LOUISVILLE:  A-/B+ (depending on what schools join)

LIKELIHOOD OF HAPPENING:  23%

 In spite of this uncertain future, Leopard fans can be assured that Louisville officials and administrators have spent countless hours on this issue, leaving no stones unturned.  However it plays out, we know that Leopard coaches and athletes will continue strive their best to continue Louisville’s long tradition of excellence, both on the playing fields and in the classroom.

***Please note that the author is a graduate of Louisville High School and is currently teaches 8th grade at Louisville Middle School.  This blog originally ran as an article for the Louisville’s  weekly newspaper, The Louisville Herald.

E-mail the author:  macaljancic@yahoo.com

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

What do puppies, pizza, Tom Hanks, and summertime have in common?  Everybody loves them. Those three warm months of flip flops, swimming pools, Cedar Point trips, beach vacations, and, of course, NO SCHOOL, puts some pep in everyone’s step.

The lesser seasons still have their own adoring fans.  Each Autumn, Thousands flock to rural areas like Tuscarawas and Holmes County to see Mother Nature’s vibrant art show of changing  leaves.  And Winter not only has the breathtaking beauty of a pure white snowfall, but also the trump card of the Christmas season. 

But for me, Spring has always been my favorite time of year.  I probably inherited this passion from my father.  At winter’s first absence, we would dust off our baseball gloves and play catch in the side yard.  The radio seemed to be always tuned in to Herb Score’s narration of the Indians’ daily ballpark battles.

Spring’s true allure for both of us, though, is watching Nature awaken from her long winter hibernation.  Moments like that first morning of hearing the birds singing.  The smell of fresh cut, lush green grass.  Brilliant yellow daffodils and red tulips swaying in the wind.  The sweet smelling fragrances of tree blossoms.  My father always savored nature’s re-birth from the deadness of winter.

His ultimate spring sports highlight was not Tribe games, the NBA playoffs, or March Madness. Each April, he would turn on CBS, adjust the color and contrast knobs a little on the television, and watch The Masters golf tournament.  While he enjoyed watching golf’s greatest battle for a major championship, he loved the beautiful display of nature that Augusta National Golf Club meticulously creates.

Nowadays, I find myself relishing many of these same wonders of nature.  As April gives way to May each year, I lead a variation of ‘I Spy’ while driving the streets of Dover with my three kids.  Instead barking ‘slug bug’ at the sight of a Volkswagen Beetle, we call out the many various colors of Azalea bushes fronting the houses.  And let me say, Dover’s phenomenal Azalea population can stand toe-to-toe with Augusta’s finest.

Spring also has a special place in my heart because nature’s re-birth also symbolizes the true reason for the Easter season.  This holiday is when Christians celebrate the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, three days after his crucifixion on the cross.  For some, this story is the basis for their lives, while for others, it is a myth placed on a book shelf along with Zeus and Paul Bunyan.

The world today seems to emphasize one thing:  ME.  As in, “What can I do to benefit ME?”  We need to get a better phone, a better job, a better car, a better house.  Teens need to have the popular shoes, popular clothes, popular friends, popular music.  Athletes at most every level need to have the right shoes, the right equipment with the right logo,  and jump to the right team–the team that wins more.  Reality shows have exploded on the television landscape as individuals do whatever they can to showcase and market themselves.

In contrast to this, the words of Jesus emphasize something completely different:  OTHERS.  As in, “What can I do to benefit others?”  Christ wants us to find ways to serve others, help others, show love and kindness to others.  Having that servant’s heart can be more transforming and influential than any amount of money and status.

Most all of us can remember certain people in our lives with their servant’s heart of selflessness and love.  Was it a parent?  A grandparent?  A teacher?  A coach?   A neighbor?  The genuine care, concern, and guidance of those people can make a significant impact on people’s lives, much more than can be written on a bank check.

Our nation was founded on the Judeu-Christian values stated in the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.

In the two-plus centuries since that historic document,  Our country has been blessed by the power of a servant’s heart carried out by sole individuals, small groups, large movements, and enormous armies.  America has had many flaws in its past and present, but it has also been a radiating beacon of light to the world when it reaches out it arms to help and protect others in need.

Following Christ does not offer or guarantee worldly riches, or a care-free, easy life.  But in a  world filled with sadness, anger, and fear, the message of Jesus, through His words and actions, offer hope, well as a sense of purpose and direction.  I have seen materially rich people live very lost lives.  And I have also seen Christ-centered people with much less earthly treasures walk a life full of joy, peace, and love.

I have been extremely blessed to have two parents with a servant’s heart.  My father passed away a decade ago after a 12-year bout with brain tumors.  Several years after his death, a man approached me in the aisle of my hometown hardware store.  His son was a childhood friend of my brother before moving away in middle school.  The dad was excited to tell me that his son was getting ordained to be a minister that weekend.   I quickly thought back to my childhood days at home when my dad would go out of his way to show kindness to our friends, while also periodically finding moments to talk about the message of Christ.   The man followed up his son’s news by saying what a special influence my dad was in his own life.  In fact, the man told me how much he appreciated my father once telling him that he loved him–words my dad made a point to say to those around him.  Those were words that man said he had never heard from even his own father.

I know that some of you have been turned off by an experience with a church.  Just remember that every house of worship has the same problem:  they are filled with human beings.  And humans, even those of the best God-led intentions, are far from perfect.  I know this personally from seeing the same very flawed individual in the mirror each day for the last four-plus decades.

But there are many, many great local churches out there filled with many caring, selfless, Christ-led people.  So if you have a chance this holiday weekend, stop by your local church to hear the Easter message.  My hope is that you find the hope of Jesus Christ.

 

E-mail the author:  macaljancic@yahoo.com

Follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic

 

Louisville High School has had a long history of athletic league stability.  LHS was a member of the Tri-County League from 1932-1967, jumped up to the bigger Federal League from 1967-1989, then dropped to its smaller, current home, the Northeastern Buckeye Conference.  Unfortunately, Louisville was recently abandoned by its seven other league brethren, who voted to jointly leave the NBC to form a new league minus the increasingly more dominant Leopards Read my blog, An Autopsy on the NBC, for more details on that situation.

Now Louisville officials and administrators are faced with the unfamiliar task of finding a new home for their student-athletes.  Unfortunately, the current league housing market has very limited options.  Just about every Leopard fan has their own idea of a future home for their school.  But when it comes to piecing together high school athletic leagues, one must remember the oft-quoted phrase, “it takes two to tango”.  Louisville might have a teenage crush on a certain league scenario, but if that love is not reciprocated, the Leopards are left sitting alone at the prom.

My conversations with various coaches, school officials, and knowledgeable fans in a number of school districts have given me somewhat of a pulse for this situation. So let’s do our own version of a “Parade of Homes” to see what options are available for Louisville and what just might be a good fit.  For each league, I included the enrollment of the boys grades 10-12 according to the OHSAA, the enrollment percent comparison to Louisville, and the travel time between high schools according to mapquest.com.

OPTION ONE:  DREAM LEAGUE

For high schools, the ideal league size is eight schools (an even amount of schools that fills most of a schedule while still allowing for some non-league games).  This group of eight schools is relatively close in enrollment and proximity.  For Louisville, it preserves some great NBC relationships while reviving their heated Northwest rivalry.  And Lake, Dover, and New Philadelphia are three local communities very similar to Louisville in both values and passion for their high school sports.

Most Leopard fans and administrators would sign up for this in a heartbeat.  But there is probably a better chance of Johnny Manziel taking the Browns to Super Bowl 51 than this alignment happening.   Lake is currently pretty happy as a Federal League member.   Dover and New Philadelphia belong to the East Central Ohio League.  Northwest will be joining the Principals’ Athletic Conference (PAC-7) in 2017.  And Marlington, Alliance, and South just dumped Louisville.

Five or ten years from now, though, this arrangement might just might have a chance.

Fit for Louisville:  A

My predicted chance of happening:  0.5%

OPTION TWO:  TWO-TIER FEDERAL LEAGUE

This possibility has maybe been arguably the most popular option discussed by Louisville fans over the last few months. Some discussions have also included Massillon (511 boys) in the upper division and CantonCentral Catholic (147 boys) in the lower division.   On paper, it appears to be a nice marriage for all involved.

But the Federal League appears to have no interest in this set-up.  They have a strong, stable seven-team arrangement right now, with an ideal eighth spot open for Louisville.  When leagues split into big-small division tiers, it tends to lead to instability.  The Federal League tried this once in the late 1980s, and it lasted only two years.  The Federal League’s likely perspective is that Louisville needs them much more than they need Louisville.  So there is no need for them to shake things up to attract the Leopards.

I have also been told that Dover and New Philadelphia have little interest in this arrangement.  And considering that the Federal League has never offered their eighth spot to Massillon, I highly doubt they would look to add the Tigers now.

Fit for Louisville:  A-

My predicted chance of happening:  2%

OPTION THREE:  All-American Conference

The AAC recently met with Louisville school officials to discuss their league.  This Youngstown-based conference is currently made up of 20 teams where schools as are divided up into several divisions for each sport based on a combination of size as well as performance in those sports.

In theory, this fluid approach is appealing because helps keep competitive imbalance to a minimum.  Opponents of this flexible arrangement feel the lack of a consistent conference ‘family’ keeps schools from creating bonds and healthy rivalries.  Debating the pros and cons is likely a moot point, though, when considering the travel time.  When looking at the largest eight schools that Louisville would most likely play, the average travel time is 58 minutes.  And the drive to the Youngstown area is not consistent, easy highway travel.  Considering that Louisville’s current average travel time within the NBC is 25 minutes, I don’t think the league members and set-up are appealing enough to overcome the distance.  It would likely be a very tough sell to the Louisville community.

Fit for Louisville:  C-

Likelihood of happening:  7.5%

OPTION 4:   EIGHT TEAM FEDERAL LEAGUE 

 When news first came out that the NBC was about to tumble, the most obvious option for Louisville was a return to the Federal League.  Even in recent years, many NBC fans, including some LHS supporters, felt that since the Leopards had become such a big fish in the small NBC pond, the time had come for them to move to a big fish bowl of Stark County, where they would likely be embraced with open arms.

Most Federal League members would surely LOVE to have Louisville back in the family.  Adding LHS would put the league membership up to that ideal target number of eight.  Additionally, Louisville is a local team whose fan base travels well, which means more money for Federal League schools.  And with Louisville being by far the smallest school, the Fed big boys would have to like their chances of getting their share of wins vs. the Leopards.

Louisville would also benefit from those short trips and big money gates.  And with the Leopards being Division I in most sports other than football, playing a league full of D-I schools should provide better preparation for the post-season. Sounds like an ideal reunion.

Enrollment numbers, however, likely forecast another story:

Louisville’s student population pales in comparison to the rest of the league.   The question is whether playing the constant diet of bigger schools would elevate LHS sports’ programs, or eventually overwhelm them?  I feel the answer is both.  LHS has had plenty of non-league match-ups with Federal League schools through the years.  For the most part, the Leopards have held their own, becoming more battle-tested as a result.  But there is a big difference between playing a few non-league games versus playing a full Federal League schedule.

In those seasons with peak-performing squads, LHS could compete night in and night out.  This year, Louisville probably had their best boys’ basketball team in 15 years, and went 5-1 vs. the Federal League (they didn’t play league co-champ Jackson).  But on those non-elite years of talent, the grind of playing a full Federal slate would likely catch up to the Leopards.  A look back to their last Federal League go-around supports this.

Old-school fans might hearken back to the Federal football glory of the 1970s, when Louisville and Hoover did their own version of Ohio State and Michigan’s ‘Big 2’.  From 1970-1981, either the Leopards and Vikings were the champions each year, winning six titles each (Perry twice shared a title in that span).

But as Louisville’s enrollment gradually separated from the big school totals, success became fleeting.  In the 1980s, Louisville’s boys’ teams won only 5 Federal League championships:  two in tennis (1983 and 1985), and one in baseball (1988), football (1981), and basketball (1982).  In comparison, Louisville boys won 22 NBC titles from 2000-09 and 20 NBC titles from 2010-15.

Lack of titles was only the tip of the iceberg.  Louisville struggled to stay competitive in most sports.  After the titles of the 1981-82 school year, football went in 28-52 and basketball went a brutal 23-124 before departing for the NBC.  Participation numbers decreased (football went as low as 37 players in 1987) and some top Louisville athletes went to St. Thomas Aquinas.

27 years later, Louisville athletics has vastly improved across the board, due to both the hard work of Leopard athletes and coaches, as well ability to build a momentum of success vs. NBC schools.   But in that time, the Federal League has evolved from a solid big school league to a state power conference.  To compete at that elite level, many Federal League athletes now participate in only one sport.  Those big school enrollments provide enough talented athletes to fill the large number of team rosters.

For decades, much of Louisville’s success has been large in part due to the performances of multi-sport athletes.  And it’s great opportunity that many Louisville students can reasonably play more than one sport.  I feel a jump to the Federal League would greatly diminish this, even causing different sports to ‘cannibalize’ each other in a fight for athletes.

In my discussions with various people knowledgeable about Louisville sports, almost all think a move to the Federal League would have terrible long-term implications.  Losing breeds fewer participants, which breeds more losing, which breeds a school and community mentality of losing.  Any LHS graduate from the 1980s can recall the ‘Loserville’ stigma of those difficult days.

Fit for Louisville:  C-

Likelihood of happening:  15%

INDEPENDENT STATUS:

One option that will always be on the table for Louisville is to not be a member of any league.  Unless you are Notre Dame, this is usually a very difficult road to travel.  Filling schedules is extremely difficult. Northwest has struggled mightily since leaving the NBC in 2011, often being forced to play bigger schools and/or very talented parochial schools.  And many opponents are from far-off locations, which either means long bus trips from away games, or small visitor gates for home games.

The positive spin is that being able to choose your opponents,  often from a very small list at times, might be a better option than playing a full slate of big Federal League schools, or traveling to the far-off lands of the All-American Conference.  For football, you could possibly schedule 6 or 7 home games each year, which could be a financial boon for the LHS athletic budget.  And since the Federal League has an odd number of schools, that makes it an easier possibility to schedule some of those teams during the league portion of the season.

Fit for Louisville:  D

Likelihood of happening:  5%   (I think LHS officials would only truly consider this if there was an extremely strong league possibility on the horizon that might require a year or two of waiting). 

CLICK HERE to Read Part 2, which will explore the top two likely landing places for the Leopards.

***Please note that the author is a graduate of Louisville High School and is currently teaches 8th grade at Louisville Middle School.  This blog originally ran as an article for the Louisville’s  weekly newspaper, The Louisville Herald.

follow the author on twitter:  @macaljancic