Several area teams making moves

Compiled by Ryan Hines and
Gary R. Rasberry

A number of local football teams will be switching divisions after the Ohio High School Athletic Association released its divisional breakdowns for the 2013 and 2014 seasons.

After the OHSAA Board approved the addition of a seventh division by a 6-3 vote during an April 2012 board meeting, the specific assignments of schools into respective divisions had yet to be determined.

The 72 largest schools, based on male enrollment figures provided by the Ohio Department of Education, will be in Division I, with the remaining schools divided among the other six divisions. Division I will be split into two regions, with the top 16 teams advancing to the playoffs. All remaining divisions will stay in the four-region format.

Celina and Wapakoneta were formerly considered Division II in 2012 and Kenton was a Division IV representative but that trio will now be a part of Division III along with other Western Buckeye League schools such as Defiance, Elida, Shawnee and St. Marys that were already previously in D-III.

"It's a good thing for us. We were in D-II the last two years by a handful of kids, so the move down it's more comparable to the rest of the teams that we play in our league when it comes to computer points," said Celina head coach Jared Rolfes. "Wapak and us were both D-II last couple of years, so now the WBL is all at D-III or lower."

Van Wert and Ottawa-Glandorf are dropping from Division IV to D-V while Bath will stay in Division IV.

There will be a new Division VI state champion next year as defending champ Marion Local will move down to the new smallest division, Division VII, which is made up of schools with attendance figures under 111.   

"That's the smallest it has been since I've been here with 92," said Flyers head coach Tim Goodwin of Marion Local's male enrollment numbers. "I knew we would be in the smallest division. You just didn't know what would happen to some of the other teams you're used to seeing in the playoffs."  

Fellow Midwest Athletic Conference schools Fort Recovery and Delphos St. John's will also now be in Division VII.

Coldwater will remain in Division V to try and defend its state championship from a year ago with its enrollment number of 169 being at the lower end of the 156 to 212 spectrum. Joining the Cavaliers in D-V will be three Division IV state semifinalist from a year ago in Creston Norwayne, St. Clairsville and Bishop Hartley, whom Coldwater faces in the second week of the upcoming regular season.

"It's going to be tough," said Coldwater head coach Chip Otten. "The tough part is going to be getting in (the playoffs). ... We open up with Kenton and have Hartley, then it's Versailles and Delphos (St. John's). Those first two games are going to be huge in trying to get a win to get us started."

The only other local team switching divisions will be Parkway, which drops from Division V to Division VI.

The rest of the local teams - St. Henry, Minster and New Bremen - will remain in Division VI.

The playoff format this season will have Divisions II, III, IV and VI playing on Friday nights, with the remaining divisions (I, V and VII) playing Saturday.

One interesting note will be the schedule for state championship games as the OHSAA will not make an announcement until after the state semifinals are completed. One of the four divisions that played their playoff games on Friday night will play the state championship game on a Thursday.

Local Football Division Moves:
New Divisional Breakdown for area football teams.
WBL

School	Enrollment	2012 Division	2013 Division
Celina	327	II	III
St. Marys	293	III	III
Wapakoneta	343	II	III
Elida	292	III	III
Defiance	334	III	III
Kenton	285	IV	III
Shawnee	300	III	III
Van Wert	210	IV	V
Ottawa-Glandorf	205	IV	V
Bath	214	IV	IV

MAC

School	Enrollment	2012 Division	2013 Division
Coldwater	169	V	V
Anna	153	V	VI
New Bremen	113	VI	VI
Minster	117	VI	VI
Parkway	130	V	VI
St. Henry	139	VI	VI
Versailles	148	V	VI
St. John's	77	VI	VII
Marion Local	92	VI	VII
Fort Recovery	108	VI	VII