New Conference....yet to have a name

[olderthandirt]

GHS set to join new athletic conference

The rumored move of Greencastle to a new, as-yet-unnamed athletic conference became official Monday evening.

The Greencastle school board voted unanimously in favor of accepting an invitation to the new conference, where county rival North Putnam has already cast its lot.

With the announcement, Greencastle will exit the Western Indiana Conference.

Plans for the new conference were announced this spring, with North Putnam joining five schools set to exit the Sagamore Conference — Southmont, Crawfordsville, North Montgomery, Western Boone and Frankfort.

Remaining Sagamore Conference members Lebanon, Tri-West and Danville will retain the Sagamore name.

Meanwhile, Cascade voted to join the new conference earlier this month, leading to much speculation about Greencastle’s fate. The Cadets had been set to re-join the WIC prior to that announcement.

The new conference is set to begin play in 2025-26.

[superjay]

It will be called the Sagaless Conference.

[oldtimeqb]

I'm not familiar with the area and only follow football.  WeBo I would have assumed wasn't afraid to compete with Tri-West and Danville.  Are they just looking to be the big fish in a small pond athletically?  

[1st_and_10]

10 minutes ago, oldtimeqb said:

I'm not familiar with the area and only follow football.  WeBo I would have assumed wasn't afraid to compete with Tri-West and Danville.  Are they just looking to be the big fish in a small pond athletically?  

Danville and Lebanon are growing rapidly... I think it has more to do with the future and similar size schools vs. right now.  Danville will be 4A soon, Lebanon could be push to 5A soon, meanwhile Webo will more than likely be back to 2A after this year (and remain in 2A for the foreseeable future).

[oldtimeqb]

14 minutes ago, 1st_and_10 said:

Danville and Lebanon are growing rapidly... I think it has more to do with the future and similar size schools vs. right now.  Danville will be 4A soon, Lebanon could be push to 5A soon, meanwhile Webo will more than likely be back to 2A after this year (and remain in 2A for the foreseeable future).

Thanks.  Didn't realize the size difference.  I still think of Danville as a 'smaller school' based on its history with Mater Dei and Memorial.  Of course it's still weird for me to think of Zionsville different than 3A from the times they played Heritage Hills!

 

[1st_and_10]

46 minutes ago, oldtimeqb said:

Thanks.  Didn't realize the size difference.  I still think of Danville as a 'smaller school' based on its history with Mater Dei and Memorial.  Of course it's still weird for me to think of Zionsville different than 3A from the times they played Heritage Hills!

 

Webo is competitve right now... Some of these schools are pushing 90+ kids on their Football roster.  We have 62 and Webo enrollment is declining (you can see it in the youth league). 

Webo used to play Zionsville as they are a County school... There is a reason we no longer play them...  Again, it's not about right now... It's about 5-10 years down the road AND it's about all sports not just football (though I fully understand this is a football board and many people only think in football terms)

Edited September 26, 2023 by 1st_and_10

[Tippy]

I think Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, Crawfordsville, Frankfort, and Taylor should all be in the same Conference.  It should be called the "OH MY " conference.  🙂

[Muda69]

12 minutes ago, Tippy said:

I think Clinton Central, Clinton Prairie, Crawfordsville, Frankfort, and Taylor should all be in the same Conference.  It should be called the "OH MY " conference.  🙂

I would go for that.  I would be pretty competitive.

 

[jets]

4 hours ago, 1st_and_10 said:

Danville and Lebanon are growing rapidly... I think it has more to do with the future and similar size schools vs. right now.  Danville will be 4A soon, Lebanon could be push to 5A soon, meanwhile Webo will more than likely be back to 2A after this year (and remain in 2A for the foreseeable future).

Curious as to how all those neighboring schools enrollments are on the rise, yet WeBo's is not???

[Muda69]

10 minutes ago, jets said:

Curious as to how all those neighboring schools enrollments are on the rise, yet WeBo's is not???

Geographic proximity to I-65, I-74,  and the ever outward  expanding urban sprawl  of Indianapolis.  That is why the likes of Danville, Lebanon and to a smaller extent Tri-West are growing at a higher rate than Western Boone.

 

[1st_and_10]

16 minutes ago, jets said:

Curious as to how all those neighboring schools enrollments are on the rise, yet WeBo's is not???

Well Danville was already a large 3A school, Lebanon a 4A.  Both are building several housing developments and I believe there is only 1 (small) housing development planned in Western Boone School District.  Danville currently have 3 or 4 going in as we speak.  Lebanon at least 2 and they have annexed a large amount of farmland where Eli Lilly is building a facility.  Will the Lilly facility bring growth to Webo?  Probably.  The facility is still a long way away from being complete.  Avon grew considerably in the last 20 years... That is starting to go West (Danville and Avon are just a few miles from each other).  Other than the farmers that have sold farm land for the Lilly/Tech park facility, farmers currently aren't selling ground for housing developments (not a lot of houses for sale either) and there aren't a ton of transfers coming West (away from Interstates and Indy).  Webo was 3A by 2 students after the last cycle (Webo's class of 23 was one of the biggest to go through).  I can tell you that as part of the Webo Youth Football League Board, our numbers were down across all divisions (Flag {K-1st}, Minor {2nd-3rd}, Major {4th-5th}, and 6th grade).  

3 minutes ago, Muda69 said:

Geographic proximity to I-65, I-74,  and the ever outward  expanding urban sprawl  of Indianapolis.  That is why the likes of Danville, Lebanon and to a smaller extent Tri-West are growing at a higher rate than Western Boone.

 

@jets This also.  

Edited September 26, 2023 by 1st_and_10

[superjay]

This is a good move for all involved.  I think Cascade and Greencastle will bring solid teams to the football side of conference.  North Putnam has a history of good teams.  Frankfort will probably not be in this long.  I see them moving north or dropping football.  Either way this is a good 2A rural conference.  TW is looking forward to playing some new teams and developing some new rivalries.  

[Muda69]

3 hours ago, superjay said:

Frankfort will probably not be in this long.  I see them moving north or dropping football.  

Good call.

Interesting question though.  If a school the size of Frankfort drops football, what other conference with similar sized schools would want them?  

[WestfieldRocks]

On 9/26/2023 at 2:37 PM, 1st_and_10 said:

Well Danville was already a large 3A school, Lebanon a 4A.  Both are building several housing developments and I believe there is only 1 (small) housing development planned in Western Boone School District.  Danville currently have 3 or 4 going in as we speak.  Lebanon at least 2 and they have annexed a large amount of farmland where Eli Lilly is building a facility.  Will the Lilly facility bring growth to Webo?  Probably.  The facility is still a long way away from being complete.  Avon grew considerably in the last 20 years... That is starting to go West (Danville and Avon are just a few miles from each other).  Other than the farmers that have sold farm land for the Lilly/Tech park facility, farmers currently aren't selling ground for housing developments (not a lot of houses for sale either) and there aren't a ton of transfers coming West (away from Interstates and Indy).  Webo was 3A by 2 students after the last cycle (Webo's class of 23 was one of the biggest to go through).  I can tell you that as part of the Webo Youth Football League Board, our numbers were down across all divisions (Flag {K-1st}, Minor {2nd-3rd}, Major {4th-5th}, and 6th grade).  

@jets This also.  

Don't the kids living in Whitestown go to WeBo? Whitestown is growing like crazy. Or perhaps they go to Zionsville or Lebanon schools?

[ragdoll]

Hard to believe Greencastle leaving their conference rivalry with Brown County. 

[dazed and confused]

2 hours ago, WestfieldRocks said:

Don't the kids living in Whitestown go to WeBo? Whitestown is growing like crazy. Or perhaps they go to Zionsville or Lebanon schools?

Both Zville and Lebanon... dont know about WeBo... if parents want to get them there then sure there could be...

[1st_and_10]

14 hours ago, WestfieldRocks said:

Don't the kids living in Whitestown go to WeBo? Whitestown is growing like crazy. Or perhaps they go to Zionsville or Lebanon schools?

Whitestown is a mix of Zionsville/Lebanon. 

[superjay]

Tri-West 2025-26 Schedule

WeBo Brebuef West Lafayette Kokomo Danville Lebanon Northview Chatard McCutcheon 

Should be fun!

[Indiana Fan]

2 hours ago, superjay said:

Tri-West 2025-26 Schedule

WeBo Brebuef West Lafayette Kokomo Danville Lebanon Northview Chatard McCutcheon 

Should be fun!

So they are still calling it a  conference with Lebanon, Danville? What is their plan moving forward?

[superjay]

 

1 hour ago, Indiana Fan said:

So they are still calling it a  conference with Lebanon, Danville? What is their plan moving forward?

Still looking for members.  Some of schools listed above are in the discussion.

[ballyhoohoo]

I could see the use of something like the Monon Line Athletic Conference or Monon Athletic Conference 

[Ballhawk]

On 9/27/2023 at 3:03 PM, Muda69 said:

Good call.

Interesting question though.  If a school the size of Frankfort drops football, what other conference with similar sized schools would want them?  

Hot Dogs to the Hoosier Heartland!  It would be a good fit for them.

[Muda69]

9 minutes ago, Ballhawk said:

Hot Dogs to the Hoosier Heartland!  It would be a good fit for them.

Agreed. I've been saying this for a number of years.   Frankfort boys basketball opens it's 2023-24 tomorrow night with it's traditional first game against Clinton Prairie.  The Gophers are favored, as they should be.  Students in increasing number of fleeing Frankfort for CP. 

[Ballhawk]

1 minute ago, Muda69 said:

Agreed. I've been saying this for a number of years.   Frankfort boys basketball opens it's 2023-24 tomorrow night with it's traditional first game against Clinton Prairie.  The Gophers are favored, as they should be.  Students in increasing number of fleeing Frankfort for CP. 

Would they have one sport that would stand out in the HHC?  I'm not familiar with their whole athletic program.  Soccer?  Baseball?

Frankfort and Benton Central would fit in the HHC, much better than they do in the Hoosier or the new conference.  The Hot Dogs would certainly save on travel in the HHC.

[hondo17]

1 hour ago, superjay said:

 

Still looking for members.  Some of schools listed above are in the discussion.

Would

 

West Lafayette, Kokomo, McCutcheon join a conference with Danville, Tri West and Lebanon?