New Youngstown City Series could soon take shape

November 17, 2018 at 12:07a.m.

East, Chaney, Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline are in talks to form new conference

YOUNGSTOWN

Youngstown City Schools and two city parochial schools are in the process of forming a new high school sports league.

East, Chaney, Cardinal Mooney and Ursuline are in the early stages of forming a new league in the spirit of the defunct Steel Valley Conference, which disbanded in 2003. The working title for the new league is the Steel Valley City Series and will begin play in all sports in fall of 2019.

“We felt like our athletes weren’t being recognized because the aren’t in a league,” Mooney athletic director Don Bucci said on Friday. “There’s no motivation to win a league title, we only have going for the state title and the [All-Inland District] for getting recognition.”

The league is the brainchild of Youngstown City Schools’ AD Rick Shepas, who pitched the idea to the two parochial schools and is considered to be the “interim commissioner” by Bucci. So far, the schools have had two meetings on the subject.

Mooney and Ursuline have been independent since the SVC folded. The two tried to enter a league with several Catholic schools known as the North Coast League, but the plan did not come to fruition. Bucci said he expects the Mooney and Ursuline’s principals as well as the Youngstown Diocese to be on board with the move. The main motivation for being in a league is to have an easier time scheduling teams. Bucci said he’d like to see the league expand to at least eight teams and if more join, it could have a tier system.

East is currently a part of the All-American Conference, which is already shaken up by the coming departures of Girard, Hubbard, Lakeview, Niles, Poland and Struthers to form the Northeast 8. Current independent South Range will also join that league.

Shepas could not be reached for comment.