McKinley weary of independence

Expanded football playoffs have changed the thinking at Canton's largest school.
By JOE SCALZO
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
Canton McKinley High has been an independent since the mid-1970s and, quite frankly, Lynn Wafler is a little weary of it.
"The [football] playoffs have destroyed scheduling," said Wafler, the McKinley athletic director. "It's created a situation where teams must belong to a league."
McKinley will vote on whether to join the Federal League at a board meeting on March 25. The Bulldogs have already been invited to join and must notify the league of its decision by March 28.
Wafler isn't sure what will happen.
"There's mixed emotions," he said. "I think the Federal offers a lot of quality programs in all sports."
Austintown Fitch and Boardman voted to join the Federal League this week.
"They're all quality programs," Wafler said. "Each of those programs are good in every sport and I think the level of competition is pretty recognizable."
Wafler was football coach at Canton Timken when the Trojans were members of the Federal League in the late 1980s and early 1990s.
"We knew we had to buckle up every week," Wafler said.
Both Timken and New Philadelphia left the Federal League during the '90s.
League status: Canton McKinley belongs to leagues in some non-revenue sports such as golf and swimming.
In the mid-70s, the Bulldogs left the All-American Conference, which also included Warren Harding, Niles, Steubenville and Alliance, and Massillon Washington, which was interested in the Federal but was not invited to join.
Meeting: Canton McKinley officials will attend a meeting in Warren on Wednesday to talk about football scheduling with officials from Warren Harding, Cleveland St. Ignatius, Lakewood St. Edward, Massillon, the Youngstown city schools, Ursuline and Mooney.
Massillon and Canton McKinley have arguably the best high school rivalry in the country. Some assumed that Canton McKinley wouldn't join the Federal without Massillon, but Wafler said that's not the case.
"The direction has maybe changed a little bit," Wafler said. "We have to be concerned with the problems of McKinley and Massillon has to worry about their problems."
Even if it joins the Federal, Canton McKinley would not stop playing Massillon.
"Not unless I wanted to lose my job," Wafler said.
scalzo@vindy.com