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Dohar: ITCL looking at three-division setup
By Greg Gulas
AUSTINTOWN
The Inter Tri-County League is a vote away from moving to three divisions.
The league’s principals have already unanimously endorsed the move, which would begin with the 2015-16 school year. League superintendents will vote on the proposal next month.
It’s the first major change since the Inter-County League and Tri-County League merged into a two-tier conference a decade ago.
Damon Dohar, Weathersfield Schools superintendent and current ITCL president, said there were a variety of reasons for considering realignment within the league.
“The three-division proposal, which has been discussed at great length on and off the past several years, took into account both student body size and geographic location as it considered realignment,” Dohar said at Monday’s Curbstone Coaches luncheon at Luciano’s Banquet Center.
The league extends as far north as Mineral Ridge and McDonald and as far south as Wellsville, a difference of 45 miles.
“With Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties well-represented, the three-division configuration will streamline travel expenses while opening up expansion possibilities to schools of similar size and geographic location,” Dohar said.
The ITCL covers grades 7-12. The new red division will be based on size, while the white and blue divisions will be adjusted by region.
South Range, Crestview, Springfield, East Palestine and United would compete in the red division, while the white division would include Columbiana, Leetonia, Wellsville, Lisbon and Southern.
The blue division would consist of Lowellville, Western Reserve, Jackson-Milton, McDonald, Mineral Ridge and Sebring.
Other ITCL administrators working with the realignment proposal were Don Mook, superintendent of Columbiana Schools; Kirk Baker, superintendent of Jackson-Milton Schools and Doug McGlynn, principal of Western Reserve High School.
“Travel has always been expensive so we started looking at gate receipts,” Dohar said. “We then took into consideration rivalries and non-rivalries, wanting to maintain all of the old rivalries from both the ICL and TCL. We’ve had many successes athletically since the two leagues merged and natural rivalries only help gates for both schools.”
While football is the driving force, boys and girls basketball are also big factors in realignment, he said.
“Realignment also helps out in scheduling, not just for football and basketball but for all boys and girls sports,” Dohar added.
On the junior high level, teams will play divisional games with the ability to add other games as necessary or as the individual district determines. Geography will play a big factor.
Varsity games outside the division will be considered non-league contests. Mandatory crossover games in football have also been proposed but will require a two-year commitment.
“Last, but certainly not least, realignment will also recognize another league champion as well as additional all-stars at the conclusion of every season,” said Mineral Ridge principal Bob Martinko, who accompanied Dohar to the weekly meeting.
Youngstown State baseball coach Steve Gillispie is scheduled to speak at next Monday’s meeting.