Hall gets its ride on the Big Rivers
MANLIUS — The Hall Red Devils football program has a new home.
The Big Rivers Conference unanimously voted Hall into its football league effective 2012 in principals meeting Monday morning at Bureau Valley. The BCR learned that football coaches around the league cast the same 9-0 vote in an unofficial tally at the recent all-conference meeting.
Following the break-up of the NCIC in 2010, Hall joined the West Central Conference for the 2012 football season, but sought a conference much closer to home. Hall athletic director Eric Bryant said the Red Devils are excited to renew old rivalries and create new ones in the Big Rivers.
“We’re going to restore some old rivalries like St. Bede and get to play Bureau Valley and Kewanee again, schools in the area that talked about a lot, but you don’t get to see those rivals anymore,” Bryant said. “Just in a competition sense alone, the conference is great. You’d be hard pressed to find a conference with as much tradition and competitiveness.”
“We’re excited about the vote today. It was unanimous and we’re looking forward to have next year’s football schedule and getting a chance to renew some rivalries,” Hall superintendent Mike Struna said.
Struna said he was excited to be asked to sit up at the “big table” to have the opportunity to sit in on the discussion of further expansion, which could include adding additional schools as well as merging the Big Rivers and its sister conference, the Three Rivers, which includes the majority of the football schools, under one umbrella.
“I think they will continue to look at that as the conference gets bigger. They’re hoping to expand east and west to cut down travel forever, speaking from our behalf, we’d be in favor of that,” Struna said.
Bryant said he expects further expansion talks to continue to heat up over the course of the next month. Fellow West Central members Princeton, Orion, Rockridge and Sherrard would like to follow Hall into the Big Rivers, but none of them would be eligible to leave the West Central until 2013.
Hall had already notified the West Central of its intentions, and immediately made it official following Monday’s meeting as required by the Nov. 15 deadline. The Red Devils will replace Ottawa Marquette, which desired to leave for the Northeast Atlantic Conference.
Bureau Valley athletic director Eric Lawson said Hall will be a good fit for the conference.
“Obviously, travel wise, they’re closer than going to Marquette,” he said. “We currently compete in nonconference games, freshmen football, volleyball and basketball and they are involved in our cross country and a lot of things. I think they will make another solid addition to our conference.”
Hall’s departure leaves the West Central with nine teams and each in need of picking up a nonconference date. It also leaves Princeton on an island of its own in north central Illinois with Mendota also departing for the Big Northern next year. The closest WC opponent for Princeton now will be Orion (64 miles).
West Central president Don Bigley of Pittsfield previously told the BCR that Mid-State Six schools Chillicothe IVC and Quincy Notre Dame have expressed continued interest in joining their league.
• Hall coach: Now with a new conference in place, Hall continues its search for a new coach following the dismissal of Jason Bland after his three-year stint. Bryant said three staff members have applied for the job presently, including varsity assistants Joe Furlan and Mike Filippini and sophomore coach Randy Tieman. Bryant said the board may choose to open the position up outside of the district at Wednesday’s meeting.
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