ICL, TCL merger closer

The Inter-County League and Tri-County League haven't lost hope.
Although past attempts at merging the two high school athletic leagues were unsuccessful, officials now feel they are drawing closer to an alliance. In the past week, a merger committee, made up of school administrators, was formed to examine each league's constitution while finding ways to combine them.
The committee will meet for the first time on Nov. 17 and work to have something in writing by Jan. 15, 2005, said committee member Dennis Spisak, principal at Southern High.
"From what I can tell, this is going to happen," Spisak said, "but we don't know the timetable."
Leveling theplaying field
At issue is a growing concern among the leagues' members that an imbalance exists on the playing field. The solution involves devising a system that would group schools of similar size in various sports.
"It's long overdue," said Jim Pepperney, the ICL's first-year commissioner, of change. "The leagues were formed years ago when the communities all had about the same population."
That's not the case anymore.
South Range and Springfield have a significant size advantage in the ICL. Leetonia, Sebring and Southern have a size disadvantage in the TCL.
"A lot of smaller schools can't compete with the larger schools, and the larger schools don't want to play the smaller schools," said John Mang, TCL commissioner.
The same problem existed in recent years when the leagues discussed merging.
"But we never got on the same page," Mang said. "Some schools were afraid of losing their rivalry games, and mileage was a big thing."
Leetonia's Art Altomare calls himself an "old-style" football coach. He likes the competition of playing larger schools -- and beating them.
"We've been fortunate to have success competing against teams in our league," Altomare said. "I'd rather keep it the same, but we'll have to go along with what the superintendents and principals think is in the best interest of the schools."
Other schools such as Sebring and Southern, however, haven't been as fortunate on the playing field as Leetonia. The Indians were forced to cancel their football game against Crestview late this season when they didn't have enough players to field a team.
"It's finally gotten to the point where we felt the merger idea would be in the best interest of our athletes," Spisak said.
Spisak points to the success Mathews has had after leaving the ICL for the East Suburban Conference in football. The Mustangs went 7-3 this season and won their conference crown.
"They're happy to be winning and playing schools they can compete with, and it's pumping up school spirit," he said. "So we're thinking along the same lines."
Another opportunity presents itself
This time there appears to be an optimistic outlook inside the ICL-TCL circles -- or at least a growing desire to get something accomplished.
"Both sides want it to work," Mang said of a merger that probably wouldn't take place anytime before 2006. "We just don't know how it's going to work."
Based on current enrollment figures by the OHSAA, a two-tiered ICL-TCL system could be broken down to include eight small schools and eight big schools.
The small schools are Jackson-Milton, Leetonia, Lowellville, McDonald, Sebring (joining the ICL next year), Southern, Wellsville (joining the TCL next year) and Western Reserve. The big schools are Columbiana, Crestview, East Palestine, Lisbon, Mineral Ridge, South Range, Springfield and United.
Just how the league would be structured is still unknown, Mang said. "Competition-wise, this is a good move whether you're a big school or small school," Springfield athletic director Jeff Dyer said.
"When I line up across the line of scrimmage, I want my kid to think he has a chance to beat this team," Dyer added. "This way, there's at least a hope of being successful by the end of the night."
Let's hope the ICL and TCL can follow through with a plan that benefits student-athletes and one that could pave the way for future endeavors.
XBrian Richesson covers high school sports for The Vindicator. Write him at richesson@vindy.com.