Big shakeup coming to Red Arrow and Lakeland...
Sources have told me that you can expect to be hearing about some changes coming in 2010 for the Red Arrow and the Lakeland Conference.
Football is the sport that is driving this, and so far everything I've learned is just football, I don't know about anything involving any other sport besides football...
Lemme start this by saying that we already know about River Valley moving out of the Lakeland and joining the Red Arrow in 2010. It was supposed to be this fall for all sports except football. Football was to go to the Red Arrow in 2010. So far by looking at the schedules that's exactly what it is. But here is where it's going to get a lot more interesting...
Bridgman is also leaving the Lakeland Conference and going back to the Red Arrow in 2010, again this may just be for football... I don't have anything that says other sports as well, after all Bridgman is one of the powerhouse teams in the Lakeland in both Boys and Girls Basketball. But football they've been far from it.
The Bees left the Red Arrow after the 2002-03 school year to join the Lakeland. In that season the Red Arrow also lost Watervliet, Hartford, and Bangor to the SAC. Suddenly the Red Arrow went from eight teams down to four, not the best of situations for the Red Arrow. What also didn't help was the closing of Galien (remember the Gaels??) and suddenly they were down to three. Add Covert and the Red Arrow was a little more stable.
Now lets move the time machine to 2007 when another one of the small school conferences fell apart, the SJV had four members leave and now you have to conferences that have roughly the same size schools being able to fill a need in scheduling for the 2008 and now the 2009 season.
But as we all know that the teams in the SJV are some of the best small football schools in the state, Mendon especially. It's not the best of things for teams like Covert who's team has struggled with not only numbers but with any kind of stability in the last few years. Covert forfeited their game with Mendon almost a week before the scheduled game. It didn't help either school to be idle.
So now that the history lesson (at least lesson 1 is concerned) we go back to Bridgman's move from the Lakeland to Red Arrow, it's a smart move for the Bees. Bridgman has not found the success in the Lakeland, especially since Bridgman is a small Class C school and playing against Class B teams like Berrien Springs, Coloma, Buchanan, and Edwardsburg. Playing those schools usually do more harm than good to the small school.
Another shocker is that a third Lakeland school is on the move to the Red Arrow for football (again, we only know about football), Cassopolis is also heading to the Red Arrow. Many of the same reasons for the Rangers move also have to deal with numbers of students compared to the Class B teams such as Coloma, Berrien, Buchanan, and Edwardsburg. Now Cass has held their own in football the last few years, basically butting heads with Coloma for the Lakeland lead in the past two seasons. Well, the Rangers are really going to be looking to become the big fish in a small pond by joining the Red Arrow.
The Red Arrow in eight seasons has gone from eight full-time members, down to four, and then two, back to four, four with another four to make a football schedule, to one of Southwest Michigan's mini mega conference.
Plus I have yet to mention that Michigan Lutheran's fledgling football team will take to the field full time with varsity status in 2010... and yes in the Red Arrow and with an 11 man team on varsity... Not eight man football
So when the 2010 football season rolls around, he's a look at your Red Arrow Football Conference.
Bridgman Bees
Cassopolis Rangers
Covert Bulldogs
Eau Claire Beavers
Lake Michigan Catholic Lakers
Michigan Lutheran Titans
New Buffalo Bison
and River Valley Mustangs
That looks like a very competitive and wide open conference for football. Now you're probably going to be asking about what's going to happen to the Lakeland. Well, not to worry. If you remember those four schools from the St. Joe Valley, some of them are going to be playing in the Lakeland, and Mendon is one of them.
The five remaining Lakeland Schools.
Berrien Springs Shamrocks
Brandywine Bobcats
Buchanan Bucks
Coloma Comets
and Edwardsburg Eddies
Now for any of you doubters about the plan... The Red Arrow league football schedule for 2010... according to sources has already been completed.
