Fairborn, Xenia to join new Miami Valley League

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GREENE COUNTY — Xenia and Fairborn have found a new and once familiar home.

The Buccaneers and Skyhawks high school athletic programs will be joining the rejuvenated Miami Valley League, beginning with the 2019-‘20 school year.

In a May 11 press release, the league announced its formation after Wednesday’s unanimous vote of approval among school superintendents for the schools involved — Fairborn, Xenia, Butler, Greenville, Piqua, Sidney. Stebbins, Tipp City, Troy and West Carrollton.

According to the release, the Miami Valley League was first chartered in 1926. Greenville, Piqua, Sidney, Troy and Xenia were original members of the league.

The MVL stopped operation during the 1974-‘75 school year, when its three largest league members at the time — Miamisburg, Piqua and Sidney — formed what was then the Miami Central Conference. Xenia and Fairborn both left the MVL after 1964 to join the now-defunct Western Ohio League.

“Xenia is excited to be a part of the MVL beginning in 2019, we look forward to giving our student-athletes the opportunity to compete against the nine other member schools. Xenia was an original member of the Miami Valley League that started in 1926,” Xenia High School Athletic Director Nathan Kopp said in an emailed statement.

The MVL will have two divisions. The Miami Division will feature Butler, Greenville, Piqua, Tippecanoe and Troy.

The Valley Division will be made up of Fairborn, Xenia, Sidney, Stebbins and West Carrollton.

According to MVL Commissioner Eric Spahr, the 10 future MVL schools will continue to compete in the Greater Western Ohio Conference through next season’s 2018-‘19 school year.

‘The MVL will provide educational opportunities for students through participation in interscholastic athletics while maintaining equity in scheduling and competition,’ Spahr is quoted as saying in the release.

All of the current GWOC American Conference schools will be joining the new MVL, with the exception of Trotwood-Madison. The Rams will remain in the GWOC with the rest of the current National Conference schools, including Beavercreek.

The reformation of leagues enables most of the larger schools to remain together in the GWOC, while most of the smaller schools will join the MVL.

With the exception of Troy, all of the schools joining the MVL have student populations of less than 1,000. According to the Ohio High School Athletic Association’s Student Directory numbers for the 2017-‘18 school year, Troy’s student count was at 1,041.

With the exception of Trotwood-Madison (681 students), all of the remaining GWOC schools — Beavercreek, Centerville, Fairmont, Miamisburg, Northmont, Springboro, Springfield and Wayne — have student populations of 1,200 students or more.

According to the GWOC website, Trotwood-Madison has claimed nine divisional titles in football, 10 division crowns in boys basketball, five titles in girls basketball, the boys track won three divisional titles and the girls track program won the GWOC American South last year. The Rams boys tennis team won the GWOC American South title this season.

In the rest of the league’s OHSAA-sanctioned sports, Trotwood placed at or near the bottom of the standings.

Kopp and Alexander were asked whether the league reformation had anything to do with Trotwood-Madison’s recent dominance in both football and basketball. Neither responded to the question.

https://www.fairborndailyherald.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/50/2018/05/web1_MVL-LOGO_PS.jpg
Trotwood-Madison lone GWOC South school not to join

By John Bombatch

[email protected]

Contact John Bombatch at 937-372-4444, Ext. 2123.

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