OHIO CAPITAL CONFERENCE League Spotlight
Latest realignment driven by rapid growth By DAVE PURPURA THISWEEKSPORTS.COM
The latest makeover for the OCC comes with myriad ramifications, not the least of which are scheduling extra non-league games in most sports and getting to know new opponents. New Albany High School football coach Pat Samanich says that will be the best part of the conference’s realignment, which split 31 teams into four divisions of six and another of seven. “It’s exciting. It’s refreshing. You get to face some new teams and go to some new stadiums,” said Samanich, whose school was one of only three to remain in the Capital Division, along with Big Walnut and Franklin Heights. “We’re looking to see new film and new faces. That will be fun. You need to shake it up a little bit every so often. We have some new non-league games. I think that can energize everybody.” OCC commissioner Dave Cecutti described the machinations of realignment – this version of which was finalized in 2014 – as something of a tug of war. He said five to seven plans were presented, including a football-only plan while all other sports adhered to different alignments and another that kept the conference with four eight-team divisions, as it had been since 2008. Enrollment and geography are the OCC’s top priorities when it comes to realignment, and as the process evolved it became increasingly clear to Cecutti and the conference’s realignment committee that suburban growth, particularly in the Olentangy district of southern Delaware County, would drive the process. Ultimately, all three high schools in that district – Olentangy, Olentangy Liberty and Olentangy Orange – were placed in the resurrected OCCBuckeye Division with Westerville Central, Westerville North and Westerville South.
The new lineup The OCC’s realignment plan for 2016-17 through 2019-20: Buckeye Division Olentangy, Olentangy Liberty, Olentangy Orange, Westerville Central, Westerville North,Westerville South Capital Division Big Walnut, Canal Winchester, Franklin Heights, Groveport, New Albany, Newark Cardinal Division Delaware, Dublin Jerome, Dublin Scioto, Hilliard Bradley, Hilliard Darby, Thomas Worthington, Worthington Kilbourne Central Division Central Crossing, Dublin Coffman, Hilliard Davidson, Marysville, Upper Arlington, Westland Ohio Division Gahanna, Grove City, Lancaster, Pickerington Central, Pickerington North, Reynoldsburg
The annual game between Olentangy and Olentangy Liberty now will be a league contest after both moved into the OCC-Buckeye Division. KYLE ROBERTSON/THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH
The OCC-Buckeye had not existed for most sports since 2008. Thirteen teams changed divisions, and a 14th, Mount Vernon, left the OCC after 50 years to join the Ohio Cardinal Conference. “We don’t like change for the sake of change,” Cecutti said. “Enrollment and geography are our top concerns. Competitive balance and financial concerns are other factors. We’d prefer to go in four-year cycles, but the time deal is very fluid. Sometimes, that fouryear cycle almost seems too long. Columbus isn’t the same place it was 15 or 20 years ago. We’re growing so fast. We have to constantly keep our eye on (alignment).” The Olentangy district’s fourth high school, which will open in fall 2018 and has yet to be named, will be placed into the OCC-Cardinal. That will bring the OCC back to 32 teams.
Canal Winchester coach Phil Mauro likes the realignment because five of the six schools in the OCC-Capital are one-school towns. TIM REVELL/THISWEEK
“That’s something you get in many other leagues around the state, big- or small-school, that don’t regularly cycle the alignments, natural and newer rivalries that add to the athletic experience. At the end of the day, though, you play who you line up against and we have 10 games scheduled.” The small-town feel of the new OCC-Capital provides drawing power for Canal Winchester football coach Phil Mauro. The Indians are one of three newcomers to that division, along with Groveport and Newark. “All of them, besides Franklin Heights, are from onehigh school towns,” Mauro said. “It makes them similar to us.” Likewise, proximity and the chance for temporary stability are a highlight for the Olentangy schools. “It’s certainly different,” Liberty football coach Steve Hale said. “We’ve been shuffled around a lot over the last 14 years and this is our fifth (OCC division). We’re kind of accustomed to it. It’ll be unique playing our sister schools.”
According to Cecutti, the conference’s objective is for this realignment to remain in place for four years, but league bylaws allow that status to be revisited. Dublin Jerome football coach Bob Gecewich understands the fluid situation of
alignment, but if he had his way divisions would remain stable as long as possible. “While there is some rhyme and reason behind it, especially with the varying growth of districts and new schools going up in a conference with such a large membership, you wind
up missing out on many meaningful rivals since they don’t have time to develop,” said Gecewich, who was an assistant at perennial power Maria Stein Marion Local in the small-school Midwest Athletic Conference before coming to dpurpura@thisweeknews.com @ThisWeekDave Jerome.
Gahanna senior Cael Baker, a University of Cincinnati baseball commit, and Pickerington Central senior Kieren Douglas, who has committed to play for Army. From the 2018 class, Liberty’s Edward Warinner – the son of Ohio State assistant Ed Warinner – and Coffman’s Griffin Hoak are among the standouts. Warinner has offers from Rutgers and five MidAmerican Conference programs. Hamilton Township’s Austin Jewell and Licking Heights senior L.A. Kelly also return.
•SECONDARY – Potential might be the best way to sum up the talent at this position. Westerville South’s Long is among several defensive backs from the 2017 class with Division I offers, including teammate Christian Nkansah-Wiafe with six offers. Walnut Ridge seniors Michael Ayers and Darrick Forrest, Eastmoor senior Malik Crockett and Reynoldsburg senior Cole Goodwin have college offers as well. From the 2018 class, Pickerington Central’s Xavier Henderson was second-team allOCC-Ohio Division and team-
mate Jeremiah Wood, who has five scholarship offers, was special mention all-league. DeSales’ Ty Van Fossen is a junior who has six offers, and St. Charles senior Davionn Johnson is a free safety who finished with seven interceptions last season and joined Ayers as a Division II firstteam all-district selection. •SPECIAL TEAMS – Snyder not only was Marysville’s starting quarterback last season but he also averaged 41.4 yards per punt, allowing only 48 return yards. Snyder was the first-team all-district punter in Division
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Grandview junior James Lachey, the son of former Ohio State great Jim Lachey, was first-team all-district on defense in Division VI. Columbus Academy senior two-way lineman Brett Bates was first-team all-district on defense in Division V. Pickerington North junior offensive lineman Alex Williams already has accepted an offer to play for Iowa State. Other standouts on the offensive line should include seniors Thomas Casimir (Hartley), John Corcella (Bexley), JorAugust 25, 2016
dan Coulter (Licking Heights), Keegan Ferrell (Hilliard Darby), Arius Griffin (Walnut Ridge), Jake Kaiser (Central Crossing), Aarin Smoot-Baker (Beechcroft), Steven Wolfe (Marysville) and Brian Zimmerman (Dublin Scioto) and junior Travis Geiger (MarionFranklin). •LINEBACKER – The CCL features two of the area’s top returning linebackers in DeSales senior Ryan Corkrean and Hartley senior Cody Kirkbride, who were first-team alldistrict in Divisions III and IV, respectively. The OCC-Ohio includes
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I while Stoneburner averaged 40.9 yards and was special mention. Worthington Kilbourne junior Thomas Wilson was firstteam all-district in Division II after averaging 39.4 yards per punt. Upper Arlington senior E.J. Caldwell and Darby junior Blake Sawicki are among the top returning Division I kickers, while DeSales senior Dominic DiMaccio and Bexley senior Logan Meyer are others at the position. julrey@thisweeknews.com @UlreyThisWeek
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