Athletic league shuffle proposed

October 19, 2009 • Maddie Dunkelberg  
Filed under News, Sports

Central Oregon schools might be seeing a lot more of each other beginning in 2010.

The Oregon School Activities Association has long been trying to form an improved classification system for the 2010-2014 school years. Over the past 14 months, Storm coaches have had a grand total of 10 different proposals thrown at them.

Reducing travel across the state was one of the major goals of organizing new leagues.  To satisfy the criteria, the Central Oregon Hybrid League may be created.

Summit would be placed in this new league, a “hybrid,” which includes Bend High and Mountain View, as well as Redmond and Crook County.  Crook County would be moved down to 4A and Redmond would remain 6A.

“The real reason for this is that Salem doesn’t want Redmond in their league,” said athletic director Dan Munson.

To further reduce travel expenses and lost learning time, Hermiston, Pendleton and the Dalles-Wahtonka were moved to a Columbia-Gorge league.

Enrollment numbers for the 2008-2009 school year also played a key role in decided the leagues.

Under such a proposal, the size gap between the smallest school (Crook County at 858) and the largest (1,824 students attend Redmond High) is incredible—a difference of almost 1,000.

Full effects of the reclassification are still unknown.

With only five times in the league, extra non-conference games will have to be added to the season.

“Nobody knows what the playoff scenario will be,” said Munson.

Coach Cameron Reynolds, too, was left puzzled.

“Are they just going to take the top teams?  The top two teams?  There’s a lot of questions about the post season,” he said.

This week, the OSAA’s state championship committee will begin meeting to address the playoff issue.

“There are still a lot of issues to work out before we finish,” said Reynolds.  Still, this proposal is “a step in the right direction” in his eyes.

“I do think that traveling puts an undue pressure on student athletes.  Also, it is very hard on the budget.  So I’m all for restrictions—it seems like it might be good for students.”  said Reynolds.

Students, however, are not so sure.

“I don’t really understand why they’re changing it—I think the way it is now is good, because we’re playing teams that are pretty much the same size schools, pretty much the same level of athletes,” said varsity soccer player Francy Grater.

Other students disagree.  “I think it’s a good competition group.  It’s definitely better than the IMC,” said Sam Walker.  “It’s a lot closer.”

Oct. 26 marks the date on which the OSAA executive board will vote on this final proposal.

“The bottom line is, not everybody’s going to be happy,” said Reynolds.  “But at least we’re putting the students first.”