Ay-Ziggy-Zoomba.com

Hey guys,

I don't mean to plug anything, but I am covering the TCL this year for examiner.com. I know that site is largely a joke, but I enjoy writing and still have a soft spot for high school sports. Any extra readership I can get, the better and I would appreciate if anyone is interested, that they check out my columns. Thanks!

Linky: http://tinyurl.com/36f6a9l

Might be competitive now that the recruiting teams and Clay and Whitmer are leaving. I look forward to your column.

I'll also be covering the TRAC next year too, along with the TCL if it's still around.

The TRAC stands to become one of Ohio's power conferences. I mentioned this on another thread, but I'd be surprised if schools lie Perrysburg and Sylvania Southview aren't looking that way in a few years. It's a shame to see what's become of the City League...a lot of truly great athletes have played in that league and it's about to the way of the dodo...

Looking forward to reading your reports JP...

Thanks Flip,

The TRAC will rank up there as one of the top 4 leagues in Ohio, and I agree about Southview and Perrysburg heading that way. It'll be the league where all the action is at, pretty much a hybrid of the City League and the old GLL, which was a damn good conference.

I don't see how the City League can survive with so few teams and the poor caliber of competition. I would doubt any league would absorb those teams as it would serve to only water it down. Hell, the City League now is basically the Catholic schools, Whitmer, Clay and Rogers competing and thats about it. I think it'll disband, and it'll be a shame to see it go.

Please explain why Perrysburg and Southview would leave the NLL for Three Rivers. Makes NO sense to me.

factman wrote:Please explain why Perrysburg and Southview would leave the NLL for Three Rivers. Makes NO sense to me.

My thoughts would be because they are the two powers in the two biggest sports, football and boys basketball.

And if I am not mistaken, they are two of the biggest schools in the NLL. While the NLL is ridding itself of tiny Rossford after this season, the addition of Napoleon just solidifies the league as a Div II-III league for football. The Div I schools aren't getting the playoffs points they need by beating these teams.

Wonder what would have happened with the TRAC if the NLL had decided to accept Clay instead of Napoleon as the replacement for Rossford.

I believe Southview is a D-II school and even Northview is larger, as is Anthony Wayne, Perrysburg, probably BG, depending upon the year as they always seem to be on the I-II bubble, and I am not sure about Springfield, but I believe they ar D-1.

Warthog wrote:

factman wrote:While the NLL is reeling from the loss of Rossford after this season....

Fixed.

factman wrote:Please explain why Perrysburg and Southview would leave the NLL for Three Rivers. Makes NO sense to me.

No way on Perrysburg. They were rumored to have told Fremont Ross (pretty reliable but not absolute source) they would vote against their entry into the NLL. And Fremont Ross will have great difficulty cracking the top 4 in football in the TRAC with very few other sports even having a slight chance of doing the same. If Perrysburg doesn't want to have FR who's on the DI / DII line of football in their league then there is no way they could feel they could compete in the TRAC.

The teams in the NLL play some of those teams in OOC games anyway........i.e. BG vs Tol CCHS this Friday. It is harder to get in the playoff if you are in an extremel;y tough league.

FalconTurf wrote:

factman wrote:Please explain why Perrysburg and Southview would leave the NLL for Three Rivers. Makes NO sense to me.

No way on Perrysburg. They were rumored to have told Fremont Ross (pretty reliable but not absolute source) they would vote against their entry into the NLL. And Fremont Ross will have great difficulty cracking the top 4 in football in the TRAC with very few other sports even having a slight chance of doing the same. If Perrysburg doesn't want to have FR who's on the DI / DII line of football in their league then there is no way they could feel they could compete in the TRAC.

The members of the TRAC will be Fremont Ross, Findlay, Lima Senior, Toledo St. John, Toledo St. Francis, Toledo Central Catholic, Oregon Clay, and Toledo Whitmer. You are telling me there are 4 schools better than Fremont in football in that conference? Central Catholic will definitely be the powerhouse of this league, but I see Fremont anywhere from 2nd to 5th. Lima Senior will be on the bottom. I predict a typical finishing scenario of

1. TCC
2. St. John
3. Fremont
4. Findlay
5. St. Francis
6. Clay
7. Whitmer
8. Lima

factman wrote:I believe Southview is a D-II school and even Northview is larger, as is Anthony Wayne, Perrysburg, probably BG, depending upon the year as they always seem to be on the I-II bubble, and I am not sure about Springfield, but I believe they ar D-1.

NLL Schools (for football)
Div I = AW, Southview, Perrysburg
Div II - Springfield, Maumee, BG, Northview,
Div III - future member Napoleon
Div IV - Rossford.

Number of boys in top three grades:
Anthony Wayne = 523
Southview = 523
Perrysburg = 518
Northview = 496
Springfield = 451
Bowling Green = 437
Maumee = 399
Napoleon = 290
Rossford = 234

Enrollment at TRAC schools
Whitmer = 839
Findlay = 747
SJJ = 617
Fremont Ross = 541
Lima Sr = 531
Clay = 518
St. Francis = 449
Cent Catholic = 408

#'s look right, and the division depends on the sport. I believe you have the football divisions. I can tell you the top 6 are D-I in baseball.

Napoleon will be VERY competive in the league, even at D-III.

Divisions are sport dependent, the specific requirements are on the OHSAA website. My senior year at Clay, we were D-II in football but the girls were D-I in everything they did. It wasn't until 2 years after I left the school moved up to D-I in everything.

Looking back on my prior comment, it would be dumb for P'burg or Southview to change leagues based on what factman pointed out. The NLL and TCL have a good relationship where those OOC games will have some playoff impact, and I would assume the TRAC would continue that relationship.

Speaking of games, St. John's is beating Scott 49-0 and it's not even halftime. Can't see how the City League survives after this season after watching Scott having miscues galore. Rogers would be the only school left having a somewhat semi-competitive football program.