Coaches weigh in on new divisions

More than one-third of The News-Herald coverage area’s football team will have a new divisional home this fall because of the Competitive Balance measure enacted by the Ohio School Athletic Association on April 6.

The measure approved by the governing body of Ohio’s high school sports takes a school’s enrollment and adjusts it accordingly based on Competitive Balance factors.

The measure is aimed at leveling the playing field between public and nonpublic schools.

“Obviously, we didn’t go anywhere,” said Mentor coach Steve Trivisonno, whose school’s male enrollment is so large, there was no chance of the Cardinals dropping to Division II. “Will this (measure) work? I don’t know. But they had to do something. Will it work? I guess we’ll find out soon enough.”

The OHSAA released its divisional breakdowns for the upcoming fall sports season on April 6. Football will feel the biggest impact locally, with nine teams moving to a new division than the one they were in last year. Three others will be in the same division as last year, but would have been in new divisions had the Competitive Balance figures not been included.

Those making moves in football are:

• Lake Catholic and Benedictine, which move from Division III to Division II in 2017.

• Chardon and Kenston, which move from Division II to Division III.

• Chagrin Falls and West Geauga, which move from Division III to Division II.

• NDCL, which goes from Division IV to Division III.

• Hawken, which moves from Division V to Division IV.

• Richmond Heights, which drops down to Division VII from Division VI.

Additionally, VASJ and Gilmour would have dropped down to Division VI prior to the Competitive Balance figures, but will remain in Division V after the figures were adjusted by the OHSAA’s formula.

Kirtland would have been in Division V prior to the formula being added statewide, but was pushed down to Division VI after enrollments were adjusted.

Regional breakdowns will be released June 6.

“This is what they voted on, so this is what we’ll live by,” Lake Catholic athletic director Sam Colacarro said. “You still have to play the games.”

Lake Catholic’s enrollment figure jumped from 310 to 400 with the adjusted addition of 90.

Benedictine’s enrollment figure jumped from 264 to 400 with the adjusted addition of 136.

“We’ll compete and get ourselves ready to win a Division II crown,” Lake Catholic coach Scott O’Donnell said. “Division II was already tough. With us, Hoban and Benedictine all moving up, Division II is going be a heck of a region.”

Even with their adjusted numbers, Lake Catholic and Benedictine still nearly remained in Division III. There are only six Division II teams smaller than Lake Catholic and Benedictine.

One of those six is Madison.

“We’ll compete and get ourselves ready to win a Division II crown.”

Madison (397) is the third-smallest Division II team, just slightly bigger than Whitehall-Yearling (394) and Dayton Carroll (390).

“I was talking with one of my assistants not long ago and said, ‘I guarantee we’re going to be the last team in Division II,’” Madison coach Tim Willis said, “and we’re the third from last. It would have been nice to be Division III. It’s just more of a challenge for us. There’s nothing we can do about it, so the way we look at it ... no excuses — just go play.”

Count Chardon coach Mitch Hewitt and Kenston coach Jeff Grubich as those looking forward to competing in Division III. The Hilltoppers and Bombers had been two of the smallest Division II teams in Ohio. Now they’ll be in Division III come postseason time.

“We got bumped up (to Division II) a few years ago and that was kind of a frustrating two-year stint,” Grubich said. “We’re excited to be Division III, but nothing changes really. You still have to play the big boys in our league and make the playoffs.”

Hewitt’s Hilltoppers advanced to the second round of the Division II playoffs last year, but said changing divisions isn’t that monumental because “each division has its own set of challenges” and “there is no such thing as an easy division.”

But he isn’t convinced the Competitive Balance measure will work.

“You still have to play the mercenaries, and you can quote me on that,” he said, referring to non-public schools. “They can select talent around an area and we public schools don’t have that luxury.

“Will this work? That’s the million-dollar question. I wish I had the answer, but we’ll find out.”

Chagrin Falls (274) narrowly squeezed into Division IV. The only Division IV school bigger is Bishop Fenwick (275). Both Chagrin and CVC rival West Geauga make the move to Division IV.

“It doesn’t change much, really, because we’ve always felt if we do well in the CVC we’ll make the playoffs, anyway,” Chagrin coach Mark Iammarino said. “We love to play in November, but you only get that opportunity based on what you do in the first 10 weeks.”

Trivisonno pointed out that six of the seven state champions last year came from non-public schools — Cincinnati St. Xavier in Division III, Cincinnati LaSalle in Division II, Akron Hoban in Division III, Columbus Bishop Hartley in Division IV, Canton Central Catholic in Division V and Warren JFK in Division VII.

“You know what? After this year’s tournaments, they had to do something,” Trivisonno said. “I’m not sure if this will work, but I know they had to do something.”