By James Day
Just like presidential elections, whether you like it or not, OSAA reclassification comes along once every four years.
The goal is to realign the state’s high schools into leagues and classifications in an effort to maintain competitive balance.
The classification and districting committee, which includes Silverton High Principal Mark Hannan, has met three times and has come up with three proposals for the alignment that will go into effect in the fall of 2014.
There is one new twist to the proceedings in this cycle. The OSAA previously had considered enrollment as the key figure as it moved schools around the chessboard. In this round the organization is taking into consideration socio-economic factors, and enrollment is weighted to reflect home-schooled students who play on athletic teams and how many students receive free or reduced lunches.
The three draft proposals do not include major changes for Silverton or Kennedy, mainly just tweaks around the edges. Here is a look at the three scenarios.
No. 1: Silverton would remain in the Class 5A Mid-Willamette Conference in a six-class system. The league would expand to nine teams, losing West Albany to Class 6A and adding 4A schools Central and Molalla. Kennedy would remain in the Class 2A Tri-River Conference, but the league would expand to nine teams with the addition of East Linn Christian, Western Mennonite and Toledo.
No. 2: In this five-class scenario, Silverton would play in Class 4A in a Mid-Willamette Conference that would lose West Albany and Woodburn to Class 5A and add Central, Stayton, Cascade and Sweet Home. The Tri-River would remain in Class 2A while adding East Linn Christian, Toledo and Scio.
No. 3: This one is a bit more complicated. It would be a five-class system except for football, in which half of the 5A schools would move up to 6A. Silverton would be placed in an eight-team Willamette South Division that would add Central and Molalla and delete West Albany and Woodburn from the current MWC. The Tri-River would add East Linn Christian, Western Mennonite and Toledo, just as it did in scenario No. 1.
The committee next meets Jan. 28 at the OSAA office in Wilsonville. The committee also will meet Feb. 19, March 18 and April 8 before it presents its final plan to the OSAA’s Executive Board on Sept. 13. The group’s Delegate Assembly will sign off on the final plan in October.
For more on the plans and process see OSAA.org.
In other news:
Four members of Kennedy’s Tri-River Conference-winning football team were honored on the Class 2A all-state team.
Senior Nathan Bielenberg was a first-team choice on the offensive line and a second-team pick on the defensive line.
Junior tight end Blake Traeger was the Trojans’ other first-team selection.
Senior running back Jonathan Venegas was a second-team choice and junior offensive lineman Daniel Glaede received honorable mention.
Silverton High senior girls soccer forward Maddie Trudelle was named second team all-state for Class 5A. Trudelle had 11 goals and two assists this season and is third all-time in career goals for the Foxes.
Kennedy senior volleyball player Sadie Manley was a third-team all-state choice for Class 2A.
Follow me on Twitter @jameshday
