MAC League looks to replace Alliance

The Aviators will join the Northeastern Buckeye Conference in two years.
By TOM WILLIAMS
VINDICATOR SPORTS STAFF
The Metro Athletic Conference is once again in the market for a new school.
Weeks before Alliance High School becomes the newest member of the MAC, the Northeastern Buckeye Conference announced Thursday that Alliance has been accepted into the Stark County-based league for the 2005-06 season.
The Aviators will spend two seasons in the MAC -- with members Canfield, Howland, Niles, Poland, Salem and Struthers -- before filling the vacancy created in the NBC when Akron Springfield announced this spring that it was joining the Portage County League.
"It's a good fit for them so I don't blame them one bit," said Myron Stallsmith, Poland High athletic director, of the Alliance switch. "The Buckeye schools are a lot closer to Alliance, so there will be a lot less travel for them.
"Hopefully, we can help them build their programs in these next two years so they will be in good shape when they go in their new league," Stallsmith said.
Few surprises
Clem Zumpella, the MAC commissioner, said he was a little surprised at the NBC action because Alliance needed a unanimous vote of approval.
However, Zumpella said MAC officials weren't surprised that Alliance jumped.
"I think they would have done this before when they left the Federal League if this opening had been there then," Zumpella said.
In 1994, the seven-school MAC was created out of the ashes of the Mahoning Valley Conference. Girard, the other original MAC member, left three years ago to join the Trumbull Athletic Conference.
Alliance was selected to replace Girard so the MAC could get back to the original seven-school format.
"One reason we were receptive to them is because we were concerned some might leave, and we don't want to [drop] to five [schools]," Zumpella said.
Stallsmith agreed.
"As always, we're looking to expand so we'll have to try and find someone else," Stallsmith said. "It looks like we'll be looking a little sooner than we expected."
Options
Stallsmith said an even number of league teams works best, so staying with six schools is an option.
"We'd like to have an even number of teams," Stallsmith said. "Eight is ideal because it's so easy to do the scheduling. Ten would be good, except that limits you in opportunities in playing schools from outside the conference."
Although travel is the main reason Alliance is leaving, Stallsmith said the MAC would be interested in considering schools from outside Mahoning and Trumbull counties.
"We would still entertain an invitation to someone of that distance," said Stallsmith, noting that a trip to Alliance would take an hour for some MAC schools. "When were in the Tri-County League, we made trips to Minerva and Louisville, and didn't think anything about it [being excessive].
"There are always ways to work around travel, for instance scheduling non-varsity games on Saturdays with tournaments," Stallsmith said. "So taking on someone from not right here is a definite possibility."
If no one is invited to join, Stallsmith said the league "will be good. We went with six schools the last couple of years. Of course, we wouldn't want to go with much less than six," he said. "It's pretty hard to get kids fired up about a league rivalry and championship if there aren't many teams in it."
Looking ahead
Zumpella said MAC officials have made proposals to the TAC about creating a two-tiered league.
"We'd like to sit down with them in August," said Zumpella, adding that there's nothing in the works.
"At the moment, there's nobody else who has said they want to come in with our league," Zumpella said.
williams@vindy.com