Ridge to the WestPAC???

[Coach]

Thoughts??

http://www.tribune-democrat.com/sports/ ... 31927.html

Chestnut Ridge formally applied for entrance into the WestPAC during a meeting at Shade High School on Wednesday, but the 14-member conference will not take action on the matter until its next meeting in February.

“As an organization, the WestPAC appreciated Chestnut Ridge’s application,” said WestPAC President Joe Bradley, the principal at North Star High School. “We’re taking it under serious consideration.

“It’s a nice fit for some of our schools. Some of our other schools have some concerns, dealing with everything from maintaining old rivalries with schools and some things in terms of population. Chestnut Ridge would renew some old rivalries with some schools. For Chestnut Ridge it would be advantageous because they play a lot of our schools in other sports.”

Chestnut Ridge is a Class AA school that participates in District 5-6 in football as well as the Inter-County Conference. Next year, the ICC will reorganize and become an all-sports conference. Chestnut Ridge, reportedly left out of the reorganization plan, is exploring other options.

“They have talked to us about coming in. There is no action taken on it,” said WestPAC Secretary Glenn Wagner, Ferndale’s athletic director. “The process is set up. Once we hear from them, we introduce them. Then we’ll act on that the next meeting, which will be in February.”

With the departure of Turkeyfoot Valley, which merged with Rockwood in football, WestPAC has an odd number, 11, of football schools. This season, programs have the option of accepting a forfeit on the date of the scheduled Turkeyfoot Valley game or finding another opponent.

Only two teams found a replacement, with each facing a District 7 (WPIAL) foe.

Conemaugh Valley lost to Monaca in Week 2 while Conemaugh Township hosts Riverview during Week 8.

“We would like to find at least one more school,” Wagner said. “We need an odd number of (potential new) schools – one, three or five – to eliminate the open dates that exist. We’d like to reach the point that we have an even number of schools in the conference so nobody has a bye.

“Right now, if they apply for the league, we are an all-sports conference. It would have to be something at this point and time as an application for all sports.”

Bradley said Chestnut Ridge’s application included three scenarios the Lions were willing to pursue.

“Chestnut Ridge expressed interest in all sports,” Bradley said. “If that was not possible, they expressed interest in football only. If that was not possible, they expressed interest in making individual arrangements with individual districts on a per-year basis.”

Chestnut Ridge Athletic Director Mark Clevenger said he could not comment on the Lions’ options at this point. Football coach Dan Wilkins deferred to Clevenger when asked to comment.

“We’re looking out for the best interest in all of our WestPAC members,” Bradley said. “We must review all the facts and that decision won’t be made until February.”

[Sideling Hill Fan]

So Ridge may be leaving the Sideling Hill? I guess there was bound to be a better opportunity sometime. If I recall correctly they left the SH one other time and then they were allowed back in. haven't they been in quite a number of diffrent leagues on and off over the years? Geesh! they are the longest trip for the fulton county schools anyway other than maybe hindman.

[WALTER4]

Nice to see ridge moving up to the westpac. I mean they'll still be playing single A schools...but at least it's going to be teams that have a semi-honorable football program

[Coach]

I don't get your quote Walter. I'm not going to knock Ridge in any way, but I'm going to look at the two conferences...

ICC has: Bellwood, SH, Mo Valley, Juniata Valley, Penns Valley, NBC, etc

WestPAC is not on that level overall as a whole. Windber is great year in and year out and so is Portage. Then it seems to rotate between TWP, Meyersdale, and Berlin.

Both conferences have reputable football, and I actually think as a whole the ICC is a little better as a whole.

[clueless]

From the outside looking in this is a curious move. Why would Ridge want to move to a league that has no other AA schools? When are the sports decision makers at Ridge going to start to face reality that they are a AA school and need to be playing in a AA league?

Looking at the numbers Ridge would be the second biggest AA school in the MAC. Only Bald Eagle is bigger than them. Central, PO, Tyrone, and Penns Valley are all smaller, not a lot smaller but smaller. Huntingdon has only 53 more boys than Ridge and Lewistown, who the top ICC schools could compete with most years, has only 112 more boys than Ridge, and Ridge continues to not want to play these schools. On the inverse, Ridge doesn't seem to have a problem playing Williamsburg who they have 183 more boys than or Shade, if accepted to the Westpac, who they have 176 more boys than.
This is why Ridge has trouble earning the respect from other area schools. Ridge has proven this year they can compete with the MAC schools so why take a step backwards by going to the Westpac?

It is very possible that Ridge has already tried to get in the MAC and was turned down, if so the WESTPAC may be their only route to go. If they haven't applied to the MAC, why not? The argument can be made that we need to do it for our other sports. I can't buy that argument. At this point, it doesn't appear the SHL is going anywhere, and even if it did, unlike in football, a school would be able fill a schedule without a league affiliation. It would create some additional work for the AD the first year but it could be done. Ridge's wrestling program has proven that for years.

I have also seen posted on BleacherCoaches that Ridge's enrollment is dropping. Again when was the last time Ridge was class A in football or any sport that has more than 2 classifications for that matter? They are AA and will likely continue to be AA in the future.

IMO at some point, the people calling the shots at Ridge, whoever they may be, need to step up an admit to themselves that the Ridge football team needs to be playing in either the MAC or the LHAC and get in one of these leagues. Then the decision makers need to commit the resources and support for the team to be competitive. Until this happens, it is going to be difficult for their program to ever reach its potential.

[GoDragons]

The rumor I heard, and there is a hundred out there, that the main reason was because of the travel distance. Some schools in the MAC are close to 200 miles round trip. Jr High and JV kids would have to leave school early and would get home very late on a school night. I also hear LHAC may have an opening in two years that Ridge would like to get in there. I know we don't mind playing them. GO CENTRAL

[WALTER4]

My quote wasn't meant to belittle the ICC or to build up the weakPac...it was simply another chance to give a low blow to ridge

[Opinionguy]

IMO at some point, the people calling the shots at Ridge, whoever they may be, need to step up an admit to themselves that the Ridge football team needs to be playing in either the MAC or the LHAC and get in one of these leagues. Then the decision makers need to commit the resources and support for the team to be competitive. Until this happens, it is going to be difficult for their program to ever reach its potential.

Couldn't have said it better. Actually, I wouldn't have said it better, I would have been much meaner about it. In fact, this is what the OG has been preaching for what...four years now.

This goes out to all the Ridgerite posters who disputed what the OG posted three/four seasons ago now...your program is still no better than it was when you left the LHAC. In fact, it's worse...you are asking to join the Westpac, which is...a complete JOKE. Instead of the Lions going up the ladder, they are going backwards. And what's this "Cheasnut Ridge would join the Westpac as an all sport conference".

Ugh...isn't that why they left the LHAC? Or was it travel...oh wait...I'm pretty sure the trip from Cheasnut Ridge High School is within 10 miles when considering traveling to da Heights or Blacklick Valley.

Congratulations Cheasnut Ridge School Board/Boosters/Community, you have run your program just about as low as you can go.

Hopefully, for the CR kids sake, CR will get someONE in that program who has some pride, and will get the Lions to the level where I'm sure the kids want to compete.

Feel free to admit your choices were wrong...but I'm sure you won't...and instead point the finger somewhere else.

Again...CONGRATULATIONS!

[Captain Coveman]

What happened to the whole MAC situation? All small A schools should refuse to play them. Why should a Williamsburg play a Huntingdon? Pathetic

[ham55]

Ridge won't be allowed back into the LHAC. They burned that bridge a long long time ago.