Morgan joining the Twin State League? Other expansion?

[MVLfan]

Nobody can tell me a league with

Small
Fort Frye
Nelsonville
Trimble
Waterford
Alexander
Belpre

Big
Warren
Point
Marietta
Cambridge
Morgan
Athens

Isn’t an upgrade from what we have now.


Bigger gates better rivalries

This would be pretty solid.
Does Point being the only WV school hurt them or the Ohio teams that play them? With OH and WV playoffs starting 2 weeks apart? I feel like bonus points are lost..

[EasternDspy]

What are the odds any of these schools actually make the move? It seems like since the TSL was formed, there is constantly talk about schools being "interested" but nothing ever comes from it. Morgan. PHS. Cambridge. Now Crooksville and 70% of the TVC? I am obviously for expansion but I guess I'll believe it when I see it.

If all of these TVC schools really want in the TSL, why not just add the four TSL schools and Crooksville and go to 3 divisions? Try to add Gallia and Logan, so Vinton County can be in the middle school division with better travel.

There are definitely teams "interested" because they have attended meetings to get more info. I don't know about the TVC schools who have attended.

They’ve been posting the minutes but they didn’t post them on wed maybe they will later. Then will know who attended.

[Sportsfan01]

What are the odds any of these schools actually make the move? It seems like since the TSL was formed, there is constantly talk about schools being "interested" but nothing ever comes from it. Morgan. PHS. Cambridge. Now Crooksville and 70% of the TVC? I am obviously for expansion but I guess I'll believe it when I see it.

If all of these TVC schools really want in the TSL, why not just add the four TSL schools and Crooksville and go to 3 divisions? Try to add Gallia and Logan, so Vinton County can be in the middle school division with better travel.

There are definitely teams "interested" because they have attended meetings to get more info. I don't know about the TVC schools who have attended.

They’ve been posting the minutes but they didn’t post them on wed maybe they will later. Then will know who attended.

It’s usually 2 or 3 weeks after the meeting before the minutes are posted.

[teach1coach2]

It was announced by the Eastern District this week that Crooksville had left the Southeast District and is joining the Eastern District. Now why would a team that plays in a league with mostly Eastern District schools join the Eastern district then bolt to the TVC or TSL who has mostly Southeast District teams? Crooksville is not leaving the MVL.

Yes Morgan took a look at the TSL, but they are not going to jump. In the big school division they are playing teams that have been in the MVL with them for several decades and River View who Morgan beats in most sports. Most likely in 4 years Morgan will be back in the small school division.

Tri-Valley is loaded in basketball this year. 8 players who can dunk and all 12 can shoot the 3. Team gets 4 or 5 dunks per game. Played a young Crooksville team. TV might beat everyone in the MVL by 20+ per game. Tri-Valley has a junior class full of top notch athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. After next school year TV will be good to above average in sports, but the next 18 months is an exciting time to TV fans.

I think Coshocton and/or River View bolting to the IVC is more likely than the southern teams who have been in the MVL since 1938 leaving.

In the end, the MVL is one of the most stable leagues in Ohio. Tough for a school to leave. If a school does leave, I don't think it would be hard for the MVL to get a replacement.

[enigmaax]

Fort Frye missed out on being in the TVC by 1 vote

Teams that voted no

Wellston
River Valley
Vinton County
South Gaila ( who was leaving but still got to vote )

Wellston 1:29
River Valley 1:23
Vinton County 1:24

That’s the reason those schools voted the way they did. I’ll give you south Gallia should not have been given a vote but if FF was going to be an Ohio division school, none of the hocking should’ve been given a vote either. That would’ve but the total at 4-3. I’ve never understood why the divisions don’t just vote for their own.

The reason both divisions get a vote is because adding teams changes the dynamic and voting power. There are some votes that affect all schools and the more schools you add, especially if they aren’t like-minded in certain ways, the more you diminish an individual or block of votes. For example, there was a time when the small schools had the majority of votes, so if there was a vote on something that might adversely affect them due to their size (or maybe budgets), they had a collective power. Now, if there was a philosophical split between the two divisions, the Ohio can basically tell the Hocking what to do.

South Gallia was leaving, which is why they shouldn’t have gotten a vote. But the potential was there that once they allowed more schools in, there could’ve been realignment that would affect the small schools. Thats why it’s important they get a vote even if the assumption is the new schools won’t be going directly into the small division.

[pioneer19]

It was announced by the Eastern District this week that Crooksville had left the Southeast District and is joining the Eastern District. Now why would a team that plays in a league with mostly Eastern District schools join the Eastern district then bolt to the TVC or TSL who has mostly Southeast District teams? Crooksville is not leaving the MVL.

Yes Morgan took a look at the TSL, but they are not going to jump. In the big school division they are playing teams that have been in the MVL with them for several decades and River View who Morgan beats in most sports. Most likely in 4 years Morgan will be back in the small school division.

Tri-Valley is loaded in basketball this year. 8 players who can dunk and all 12 can shoot the 3. Team gets 4 or 5 dunks per game. Played a young Crooksville team. TV might beat everyone in the MVL by 20+ per game. Tri-Valley has a junior class full of top notch athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. After next school year TV will be good to above average in sports, but the next 18 months is an exciting time to TV fans.

I think Coshocton and/or River View bolting to the IVC is more likely than the southern teams who have been in the MVL since 1938 leaving.

In the end, the MVL is one of the most stable leagues in Ohio. Tough for a school to leave. If a school does leave, I don't think it would be hard for the MVL to get a replacement.

The MVL is a great, stable league with tons of tradition. No one can argue that. Here's my question though, is staying in the MVL truly in the best interest of the student athletes at Morgan and Crooksville? At the end of the day, that should be the most important consideration when deciding league affiliation.

Morgan fits in great with the Washington County schools, however I do think the rumblings surrounding their move to the big school division are overblown. Football is trending in the right direction and they will be more competitive than most think. Crooksville is a completely different story. I don't know what they have at the lower levels, but just looking at their results in football and basketball over the past decade, they'd have been much more competitive in the TVC or a proposed TSL small school division.

What is the argument for Crooksville staying in the MVL that doesn't include, "they've been in the MVL since 1938"? Times change and I think Crooksville should strongly consider the TSL. Crooksville moving to the East District makes a ton of sense considering the SE District tournament in basketball (and other ball sports) is broken for teams on the fringes of the district. I'm sure they are tired of making the trips to Scioto and Lawrence counties for the first rounds of the tournaments. Need an open draw badly in the SE, but that is a completely different discussion.

[EasternDspy]

It was announced by the Eastern District this week that Crooksville had left the Southeast District and is joining the Eastern District. Now why would a team that plays in a league with mostly Eastern District schools join the Eastern district then bolt to the TVC or TSL who has mostly Southeast District teams? Crooksville is not leaving the MVL.

Yes Morgan took a look at the TSL, but they are not going to jump. In the big school division they are playing teams that have been in the MVL with them for several decades and River View who Morgan beats in most sports. Most likely in 4 years Morgan will be back in the small school division.

Tri-Valley is loaded in basketball this year. 8 players who can dunk and all 12 can shoot the 3. Team gets 4 or 5 dunks per game. Played a young Crooksville team. TV might beat everyone in the MVL by 20+ per game. Tri-Valley has a junior class full of top notch athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. After next school year TV will be good to above average in sports, but the next 18 months is an exciting time to TV fans.

I think Coshocton and/or River View bolting to the IVC is more likely than the southern teams who have been in the MVL since 1938 leaving.

In the end, the MVL is one of the most stable leagues in Ohio. Tough for a school to leave. If a school does leave, I don't think it would be hard for the MVL to get a replacement.

The MVL is a great, stable league with tons of tradition. No one can argue that. Here's my question though, is staying in the MVL truly in the best interest of the student athletes at Morgan and Crooksville? At the end of the day, that should be the most important consideration when deciding league affiliation.

Morgan fits in great with the Washington County schools, however I do think the rumblings surrounding their move to the big school division are overblown. Football is trending in the right direction and they will be more competitive than most think. Crooksville is a completely different story. I don't know what they have at the lower levels, but just looking at their results in football and basketball over the past decade, they'd have been much more competitive in the TVC or a proposed TSL small school division.

What is the argument for Crooksville staying in the MVL that doesn't include, "they've been in the MVL since 1938"? Times change and I think Crooksville should strongly consider the TSL. Crooksville moving to the East District makes a ton of sense considering the SE District tournament in basketball (and other ball sports) is broken for teams on the fringes of the district. I'm sure they are tired of making the trips to Scioto and Lawrence counties for the first rounds of the tournaments. Need an open draw badly in the SE, but that is a completely different discussion.

Losing what they do in football I don’t think Morgan could even compete in small school div of the MVL next season.

[pioneer19]

It was announced by the Eastern District this week that Crooksville had left the Southeast District and is joining the Eastern District. Now why would a team that plays in a league with mostly Eastern District schools join the Eastern district then bolt to the TVC or TSL who has mostly Southeast District teams? Crooksville is not leaving the MVL.

Yes Morgan took a look at the TSL, but they are not going to jump. In the big school division they are playing teams that have been in the MVL with them for several decades and River View who Morgan beats in most sports. Most likely in 4 years Morgan will be back in the small school division.

Tri-Valley is loaded in basketball this year. 8 players who can dunk and all 12 can shoot the 3. Team gets 4 or 5 dunks per game. Played a young Crooksville team. TV might beat everyone in the MVL by 20+ per game. Tri-Valley has a junior class full of top notch athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. After next school year TV will be good to above average in sports, but the next 18 months is an exciting time to TV fans.

I think Coshocton and/or River View bolting to the IVC is more likely than the southern teams who have been in the MVL since 1938 leaving.

In the end, the MVL is one of the most stable leagues in Ohio. Tough for a school to leave. If a school does leave, I don't think it would be hard for the MVL to get a replacement.

The MVL is a great, stable league with tons of tradition. No one can argue that. Here's my question though, is staying in the MVL truly in the best interest of the student athletes at Morgan and Crooksville? At the end of the day, that should be the most important consideration when deciding league affiliation.

Morgan fits in great with the Washington County schools, however I do think the rumblings surrounding their move to the big school division are overblown. Football is trending in the right direction and they will be more competitive than most think. Crooksville is a completely different story. I don't know what they have at the lower levels, but just looking at their results in football and basketball over the past decade, they'd have been much more competitive in the TVC or a proposed TSL small school division.

What is the argument for Crooksville staying in the MVL that doesn't include, "they've been in the MVL since 1938"? Times change and I think Crooksville should strongly consider the TSL. Crooksville moving to the East District makes a ton of sense considering the SE District tournament in basketball (and other ball sports) is broken for teams on the fringes of the district. I'm sure they are tired of making the trips to Scioto and Lawrence counties for the first rounds of the tournaments. Need an open draw badly in the SE, but that is a completely different discussion.

Losing what they do in football I don’t think Morgan could even compete in small school div of the MVL next season.

Is it going to be a down year, or will they be down for a while? I'll admit I don't know much about what these schools have coming up from the lower levels. From an outsider's perspective, though, it seems like their football program is in a much better spot and a lot of things can change from junior high to varsity.

[EasternDspy]

The MVL is a great, stable league with tons of tradition. No one can argue that. Here's my question though, is staying in the MVL truly in the best interest of the student athletes at Morgan and Crooksville? At the end of the day, that should be the most important consideration when deciding league affiliation.

Morgan fits in great with the Washington County schools, however I do think the rumblings surrounding their move to the big school division are overblown. Football is trending in the right direction and they will be more competitive than most think. Crooksville is a completely different story. I don't know what they have at the lower levels, but just looking at their results in football and basketball over the past decade, they'd have been much more competitive in the TVC or a proposed TSL small school division.

What is the argument for Crooksville staying in the MVL that doesn't include, "they've been in the MVL since 1938"? Times change and I think Crooksville should strongly consider the TSL. Crooksville moving to the East District makes a ton of sense considering the SE District tournament in basketball (and other ball sports) is broken for teams on the fringes of the district. I'm sure they are tired of making the trips to Scioto and Lawrence counties for the first rounds of the tournaments. Need an open draw badly in the SE, but that is a completely different discussion.

Losing what they do in football I don’t think Morgan could even compete in small school div of the MVL next season.

Is it going to be a down year, or will they be down for a while? I'll admit I don't know much about what these schools have coming up from the lower levels. From an outsider's perspective, though, it seems like their football program is in a much better spot and a lot of things can change from junior high to varsity.

Losing star Qb, 1000 yard wr and most of the line will be hard to replace. I’ll admit I don’t know much about the jr high either.

[MVLfan]

It was announced by the Eastern District this week that Crooksville had left the Southeast District and is joining the Eastern District. Now why would a team that plays in a league with mostly Eastern District schools join the Eastern district then bolt to the TVC or TSL who has mostly Southeast District teams? Crooksville is not leaving the MVL.

Yes Morgan took a look at the TSL, but they are not going to jump. In the big school division they are playing teams that have been in the MVL with them for several decades and River View who Morgan beats in most sports. Most likely in 4 years Morgan will be back in the small school division.

Tri-Valley is loaded in basketball this year. 8 players who can dunk and all 12 can shoot the 3. Team gets 4 or 5 dunks per game. Played a young Crooksville team. TV might beat everyone in the MVL by 20+ per game. Tri-Valley has a junior class full of top notch athletes. Football, basketball, baseball. After next school year TV will be good to above average in sports, but the next 18 months is an exciting time to TV fans.

I think Coshocton and/or River View bolting to the IVC is more likely than the southern teams who have been in the MVL since 1938 leaving.

In the end, the MVL is one of the most stable leagues in Ohio. Tough for a school to leave. If a school does leave, I don't think it would be hard for the MVL to get a replacement.

Crooksville likely left the SE District because of coverage. Only 3 teams in the MVL are a part of the SE District, but their coverage- Times Recorder- writers can only vote for the East District. This likely helps them get some better help in district awards, as well as eliminate trips to Scioto and Lawrence County, as mentioned. But, as another poster mention, what is the benefit to them staying in the league, aside from being a charter member that has been here since 1938? They have shrunk drastically since when all the schools were similar size. Anybody that argues that they still fit better in MVL over the TVC or MSL is kidding themselves.

How many small school championships has Morgan had since the league split? They could compete with the West M’s, New Lex’s, and Meadowbrook’s - but when was the last time Morgan beat TV, Sheridan, or John Glenn in any sport?

What happens to the league when Coshocton/River View leave to IVC? The league will drop back to 10 teams, which does not benefit Crooksville or West M. How long after that do they see the writing on the wall and realize grass will be greener elsewhere for them to compete?

[beg003]

Losing what they do in football I don’t think Morgan could even compete in small school div of the MVL next season.

Is it going to be a down year, or will they be down for a while? I'll admit I don't know much about what these schools have coming up from the lower levels. From an outsider's perspective, though, it seems like their football program is in a much better spot and a lot of things can change from junior high to varsity.

Losing star Qb, 1000 yard wr and most of the line will be hard to replace. I’ll admit I don’t know much about the jr high either.

Warren JH scrimmaged them. They might have some lean years coming up. A lot can change from then to when those kids are varsity age, though. But, still hard to imagine they’ll replace what they lost without a drop off.

[teach1coach2]

My take:
Morgan will not be interested in another league unless they can guarantee the same number of games they are currently getting in the MVL. 7 football, 16 basketball, 16 volleyball, 16 baseball, 16 softball, 9 soccer, etc. plus full middle school schedules. Morgan is the longest trip for about half the MVL schools. If they left the MVL, I don't see a bunch of those schools wanting to play them non-league.

When the MVL expanded from 9 to 12 teams there were 4 teams that MVL schools were interested in adding. Schools were most interested in Meadowbrook and Coshocton because the smaller MVL schools were wanting more smaller schools for a division split by size. There was a push for all schools to make sure they were committed to the MVL or get out now. No one had a problem with adding River View or Cambridge, but it was pretty universal that expansion was stopping at 12. The 9 MVL schools committed to staying for at least 10 years. We are currently in the 4th year of the MVL as a 12 team league. The small and middle sized schools wanted River View and the large schools wanted Cambridge. River View was in and Cambridge out, If one MVL school does leave, I would be shocked if Cambridge was not voted in shortly after.

So why does Crooksville stay. I can't answer that. Maybe because they don't see a viable option. TVC obviously is not stable. Crooksville did explore going with Miller and Rosecrans when they joined the MSL but again did not pull the trigger.

IVC considering expansion does put the MVL on notice that Coshocton and River View might jump to where they would be a large school in a league vs a small school.

[MVLfan]

Why was Zanesville not an option for the big schools? Are they the only school in Muskingum County not in the MVL?

[1gcfan]

teach1coach2 can set you straight better than I can. They wanted in but several of the smaller schools squashed the idea, then they opted for the LCL.

[MVLfan]

Why would the small schools care about Zanesville joining? Much better trip than any of the others that were added, but would be a big school, so only one game a season against them. No offense to the blue devils, but they are far from a giant in any sport currently.

[1gcfan]

Why would the small schools care about Zanesville joining? Much better trip than any of the others that were added, but would be a big school, so only one game a season against them. No offense to the blue devils, but they are far from a giant in any sport currently.

I agree, but old grudges ruled. I thought Bishop Rosecrans would be a fit for the small school division. I think they were voted down several years ago.

[MVLfan]

Why would the small schools care about Zanesville joining? Much better trip than any of the others that were added, but would be a big school, so only one game a season against them. No offense to the blue devils, but they are far from a giant in any sport currently.

I agree, but old grudges ruled. I thought Bishop Rosecrans would be a fit for the small school division. I think they were voted down several years ago.

Both would have made sense. Can’t believe I forgot about BR when I mentioned Zanesville being the only Muskingum County team not in it. Heck, throw in Miller and now you have all the Perry and Muskingum County teams, plus two schools closer in size to Crooksville, which would be beneficial.

[muskiefan11]

Why would the small schools care about Zanesville joining? Much better trip than any of the others that were added, but would be a big school, so only one game a season against them. No offense to the blue devils, but they are far from a giant in any sport currently.

I agree, but old grudges ruled. I thought Bishop Rosecrans would be a fit for the small school division. I think they were voted down several years ago.

Don’t think Rosecrans will ever be a good fit for the MVL as long as they continue to mandate crossover games. Rosecrans has no chance to compete with TV, JG, and Sheridan in the big school outside of soccer, and boys basketball depending on the year.

[muskiefan11]

Why was Zanesville not an option for the big schools? Are they the only school in Muskingum County not in the MVL?

They are the only school in MuskCo except Rosecrans not in the MVL. I could be wrong but I believe the argument against Zanesville is that many schools don’t realize how much their enrollment has declined, and some concerns about issues with fans due to “conflicts” for lack of a better term at sporting events. I believe that is why Zanesville and TV stopped playing in many sports.

[The Ultimate Lancer]

Well boys I have some top secret information that I can’t sit in any longer. Federal Hocking will be petitioning to join the TSL in everything except football. We are tired of the home refs in the TVC. Daniel has done a bad job getting that fixed. Once accepted we are done with the Turkey Vulture Conference. That league is dying. The buzzards are circling.