Zanesville - ECOL article in Times-Recorder

[NYBuckeye96]

Column: ECOL should look at Zanesville
By DEVIN SHULTZ
Staff Writer

If the East Central Ohio League still wants a replacement for Indian Valley, now is the time to act.

Zanesville City Schools recently voted in favor of the Blue Devils leaving the Southeastern Ohio Athletic League after the 2008-09 school year, news that should be music to the ECOL's ears.

Zanesville joined the SEOAL as part of its expansion to 10 teams for the 2006-07 school year. But with the stability of the league is in question - Athens is leaving after this school year and Ironton is associated with departure rumors.

Travel in the SEOAL was also a factor in the Blue Devils' decision. Road games easily average two to three hours of travel time one way, and that can be tough for the non-revenue sports, given the cost of gas and transportation.
Reportedly, the options for Zanesville are to pursue membership in the ECOL, or to form a football-basketball league with some schools in the Ohio Valley Athletic Conference.

That alone says the ECOL should step in now and secure Indian Valley's replacement.

In June 2006, the Braves announced they were leaving for the Principals' Athletic Conference. With a handful of schools in the rumor mill -including Zanesville - the ECOL eventually settled on inviting one school, West Holmes. But the invite was declined, and talk of a replacement quieted down significantly thereafter.

In fact, the league even prepared for life with just seven member schools - Cambridge, Claymont, Coshocton, Dover, Meadowbrook, New Philadelphia and River View - by forging a football deal with the nine-school Muskingum Valley League to alleviate "bye week" issues during the 2009 and 2010 seasons, with an additional option for 2011 and 2012.

While that deal is perfect, it was also struck long before Zanesville's decision to leave the SEOAL was made official, a situation that is more perfect for the ECOL.

Depending on who you talk to, some rumor mills already say, "No way!" and haven't changed their stance since 2006. But things have changed at Zanesville in the past couple of years, namely the fact that boys basketball coach - and River View graduate - Scott Aronhalt is Athletic Director now. Anyone who says "No" just to say it is not approaching things without prejudice.

Don't be fooled by the fact that Zanesville is a small Division I school in most sports and Division II in football. With quality programs and strong fan followings in the key revenue sports (football and basketball), the Blue Devils would easily fit in with the other schools. In fact, ZHS has many rivalries from the past and present with the ECOL, perhaps none shining brighter than that with Cambridge boys basketball in the mid-1990s.

Travel would definitely not be an issue. A combination of Interstate 77 and Interstate 70 can be used to commute between Zanesville and most schools, and the Coshocton County residents can trek down Ohio 16 and Northpointe Drive. In fact, the River View girls basketball faithful have their path to ZHS memorized after the past two tournament runs.

Lack of a wrestling program is a blaring weakness for Zanesville, but it's the only one. That can easily be swept under the rug, especially since the Blue Devils have soccer in both genders, something Indian Valley doesn't have.

The other issue would be football, and its computer points setup compared to other sports admitting all teams for the postseason. Schools like Coshocton and Meadowbrook would have their status as the smallest schools in the league reaffirmed. Division IVs going up against Division IIs and IIIs would be difficult, but if the team is good enough, they're going to win anyway and a bigger school schedule would help in pursuit of a playoff berth.

True, there is no law that says a league must have an even number of schools. The MVL didn't fold after River View left for the ECOL earlier in the decade, and the ECOL has lived with a seven-school setup in the past. But when the chance to add a quality school is there, why turn it down?

Zanesville's status as a free agent is a golden opportunity for the ECOL, one that may never come around again.

The league would be foolish not to explore it with an open mind.

http://zanesvilletimesrecorder.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080204/SPORTS/802040309/1006

[trojandave]

I can't see any reason whatsoever why Zanesville should be denied membership in the ECOL. They were D2 in basketball before the new enrollments came out last year.

And those other schools have programs in various sports strong enough to prevent Zanesville from dominating the league.