Classification Changes??

Does anyone have any predictions?

Hutchinson 1395 1395
Gardner-Edgerton 1345 1345
OP-Blue Valley West 1334 1334
Leavenworth 1289 1289
Wichita-West 1281 1281
Stilwell-Blue Valley 1260 1260
Kansas City-Wyandotte 1224 1224
Liberal 1203 1203
Emporia 1176 1176

1289 was the cut off for 6A last year...

Topeka-Highland Park 753 753
Andover Central 747 747
Goddard-Eisenhower 740 740
SM-Bishop Miege 740 740
Winfield 720 720
Pittsburg 717 717
Bonner Springs 709 709
Maize South 697 697
Lenexa-St. James Academy 689 689
McPherson 683 683
De Soto 679 679

720 was the cut off for 5A last year

Hoyt-Royal Valley 288 288
Larned 286 286
Nickerson 280 280
Baxter Springs 279 279
Hesston 266 266
Wichita-Collegiate 264 264
Cheney 261 261
Hiawatha 261 261
Haven 258 258
Burlington 254 254
Frontenac 252 252
Kingman 251 251
Easton-Pleasant Ridge 250 250
Goodland 249 249
Riverton 249 249
Hays-TMP-Marian 247 247
Holcomb 247 247
Scott Community 245 245
St. George-Rock Creek 244 244
Gypsum-Southeast of Saline 241 241
Silver Lake 240 240

258 was the cut off for 4A


Who is going to move up or down this year??

Andover Central will be 4a , 99.9% sure .

Emporia will be 5A in football this year. I'm fairly certain...

Football classifications were already determined through 2014, in 2011.

While it would likely not go into effect this year if passed. Here is an agenda item for KSHSAA for the Sept. meeting.

Proposal: Replace the current Rule 5 with the following:
Art. 1: The Kansas Equitable Classification Plan
Enrollment (75%)
Qualifying Criteria:
F.T.E
Economic (10%)
Qualifying Criteria:
Free and Reduced Lunch
Societal (10%)
Qualifying Criteria:
Minority
Population Draw
Single Household
(Human Resources Qualifier)
*potential added 10 points*
Performance (5%)
Qualifying Criteria:
Historic Performance
a. Each of four major criteria receives a score based on
qualifying criteria and figures into the final K.E.C.P.
formula proportionally as follows: Enrollment (75%),
Economic (10%), Societal (10%), and Performance
(5%).
b. Final ranked K.E.C.P. scores for each High School in
Kansas are to be divided into seven groups denoting
1A (lowest scores) through 7A (highest scores) classification.
c. Under the K.E.C.P. there will be 2-year status for all
sports and all sports at a school will be in the same
classification.
d. The Human Resources Qualifier may be exercised by
a school as an appeal of the societal portion of their
final K.E.C.P. score if they can show local competition
for student population, and/or faculty, and/or
staff from schools absent of similar social/economic
disadvantage within the K.E.C.P. formula. This ap2012
3
peal must come after the tentative classifications are
announced and before the K.E.C.P. deadline for that
classification cycle.
e. Any school that wishes to, may petition to move up to
the next higher classification group. This move will
not trigger the automatic addition of another school
into their original classification group. In order to be
approved, a move up will have to receive a simple
majority vote in favor of the move from schools in
the higher classification group.

http://www.kshsaa.org/Publications/SeptemberAgenda.pdf

Folks,

I was originally just trying to have some light hearted humor with my original post. It seems that my sense of humor had some bad timing. I apologize and did not mean to offend anyone. Just wanted to see if I could get my buddy Will fired up.

Shawn Budke

The kids haven't picked up their new cars yet, so I don't they actually enroll until after they get something to drive to enrollment.......

Cokeley's trick of offering guided hunts to new recruits died in a hurry for lack of game..........

We have had several failed attempts to reintroduce coyotes, wolves, and cougars back into Rooks and Graham county.

That was my attempt at sarcasm. Not very good I guess...

Saint James Academy 730 estimated

What I have heard from the GWAC:

Goodland estimated at around 280
Colby estimated at around 305
Hugoton estimated at around 300
Holcomb estimated at around 260
Scott City estimated around 245
Not sure on Ulysses, but I'm sure they are securely in 4a.

Looks like there is a really good chance that the GWAC will have four teams in 4A with Goodland moving up to join Colby, Hugoton, and Ulysses in 4A while Holcomb and Scott City will likely stay in 321A.

Actually, looking at the cut off numbers from last year, there is a chance that Holcomb may also move up. They were right on the line last year and look to be right there again.

I general is enrollment up or down throughout the state this year? What is the guess on where the line is drawen for each classifcation? Just curious.

Goddard...4A?

It is anticipated that Kansas' overall enrollment will be slightly greater this year than last.

I think Leavenworth will go down to 5A. They were the smallest 6A last year at 1289. Should get out of the Sunflower League. Competitive year after year only in boys BB. Would like to see 5A Leavenworth, Lansing, Mill Valley and Turner plus 6A KC Washington, Wyandotte, Schlagle and Harmon form a new league. Would be a balanced league in almost all sports. The remaining Kaw Valley could reform by picking up 4A Sumner Academy and 4A Atchison from the WYCO league.

Consistently place in top half of the Sunflower League over the last 4 years - not competitive? Last year wrestling team was 4th with 3 League champions. Our wrestling team competes just fine in the league we are in.

I expect Leavenworth to be at least top 4 this year at league with two likely champions.

OK. Talk Leavenworth Sunflower League sports achievements other than wrestling and boys BB---and wrestling is middle of the pack. Not a lot to brag about in other sports. LHS has a pecular problem--many of the student population are military dependents. Difficult to build consistent sports programs when the coaches will be lucky to get a kid for 3 years--more like 2. They either get to LHS as F or S and military dad or mom is transfered--or they come to LHS as juniors or seniors. Seldom see a four year athlete at LHS--especially in the team sports: FB, BB, soccer, baseball, etc. A 3 year athlete is about as rare as a 4 year athlete. For the sake of all the athletes and sports programs at LHS, go down to 5A and get out of the Sunflower.

Is there a bone to pick with our school? I grew up in Leavenworth and now teach here so I know the dynamics of the town well. Leavenworth is a fantastic school with a growing athletic program that has been overhauled the past few years and is beginning to build winners.

A more transient military population does not mean consistent sports programs cannot be built. The baseball team made the state playoffs in 2011 and was extremely competitive in the Sunflower League last year with a winning record and should be just as tough this year. It has been about 5 years since their last state title, but our ladies track program was as dominant for over a decade as an athletic program can be.

So all middle of the pack programs should be dropped from their affiliated league? If our school population places us in 5A this year or the next, so be it, but it isn't really a choice our school gets to make. It does not affect me as the competition there for wrestling is just as tough or tougher. And maybe someday a population shift may require the need to look at conference affiliation, but our enrollment is near 1300 this year and I believe our athletic program as a whole will be extremely competitive this year in a number of sports, not just basketball. For the "sake" of our athletes, I will tell them they if they work hard enough they can be competitive in any league or classification.

Well said coach.

Jay, don't take the bait. WillyM or Contrarian as he was formerly called, has tried to do this in many areas. A few years ago he was the expert on all things Lansing, now it's Leavenworth. It's not worth your time.

You are doing great things at Leavenworth. Keep it up!!

Mike Pursel

I have no bone to pick. I lived in Leavenworth City for 11 years prior to moving to Lansing 19 years ago. My middle son graduated from Leavenworth HS in 1986. Have watched a lot of LHS sports over the years. You have to be blind and deaf to not recognise that they are not competitive with those bigger Sunflower League schools. For 30 years I have heard the arguement--excuses- about the turnover of their athletes because of their military connection and family transfers. I did not make up that set of facts. Give the student athletes a break, especially FBers (I think LHS has had more head FB coaches in the last 30 years than wins)(Coach Hogan and BB is the only consistent winning LHS team--and they do play good BB)). Either this year or in the near future LHS will be forced down to 5A. They are aleady scheduling games/events with 5A and 4A schools. Slotting in another conference will give some habitual LHS losing teams a chance to feel the success of winning.

Predictions...

4A:
Andover Central
Goddard
Goodland

5A:
McPherson
St. James Academy

Does anybody know McPherson enrollment this year?

I will predict Bonner Springs to 5A I guess. FYI . . . Wishful thinking might be influencing my predictions. Lol!!

Last year's enrollment, as recorded by KSHSAA 141,405.

In the event that the 32nd 5A or 6A school is tied in enrollment, what is the criteria for splitting them up?

Tie breaker is previous year's enrollment.

Anyone know where they can find The Kansas Equitable Classification Plan. Would like to read the details and procedures of the complete plan--and the how and why it was developed. The extract on the Sept Agenda is just an outline.
Implementation of such a plan with so many societal variables will surely cause some major school classification changes. May expect bigger inner city schools to move down, more affluent smaller schools (and possibly private and parochial schools)to move up.

Wonder if they will keep the 32-32-64-etc etc splits? Might be a good time to consider changing the scheme of splits---at least for the three largest classes (changing the 32-32-64 has been argued, cussed and discussed on this forum since day one).

http://kshsaa.org/Public/PDF/PrivatePublicStudy.pdf


Schools with a current enrollment of 690-740 are in the mix for 4A or 5A. Without knowing the exact number for about 10 schools there is almost no way to know which classification these "cusp" schools will be in this year.

The student enrollment count for KSHSAA is taken 0n 20 Sept---2 more weeks. Classifcations will probably be announced that weekend---maybe not until monday the 24th.

Classifications will be announced on September 27th according to the KSHSAA Calendar.

SCHOOL 2012 2013

Topeka-Highland Park 753 ???
Andover Central 747 730
Goddard-Eisenhower 740 900 (estimated by Goddard source)
SM-Bishop Miege 740 ???
Winfield 720 ???

4A Cut off 2012

Pittsburg 717 730
Bonner Springs 709 710
Maize South 697 ???
Lenexa-St. James Academy 689 730
McPherson 683 ???
De Soto 679 700
Goddard 903 680 (As reported by Tommy Boy)

If SJA is 5A, that class will be a dogfight. Even if AC and GD go 4A.

Ark City
Newton
SJA
STA
Seaman

Add some of these teams...PT, AC, GD, MV, EMP, HAY, KMC!

If SJA and Andover Central is 4a, that will be interesting

4A 120 gets interesting if SJA, AC, GD and AN are there! As it stands now, 5A 120 may be the toughest weight.

Sounds like Goodland will be a Class 4A School with around 280 students (unofficially). Haven & Holcomb will be on the edge from what it sounds like. Any updates lately?

Based on the latest rumor numbers being tossed around after yesterday's reporting I predict:

DeSoto, Bonner Springs & Pittsburg - 4A for sure

Goddard, Bishop Miege, Andover Central & Maize South - 5A for sure

It looks like the 4A cutoff is going to be in the 725 - 735 area.
I don't know all of the schools. It does amaze me that the schools had to report their enrollment yesterday and it takes a week to sort them?? Maybe in 1980 but surely not in 2012.

I will volunteer to count!

Winfield 4A - pretty sure

Anyone have the count for Schlagle or Topeka Highland Park?

Any more updates before it's officially released on Thursday?

There is strong speculation that Topeka Highland Park's number dropped and that they may be the 65th or the #1 4A school. This would most likely put SJA in 5A. I guess we will see on Thursday...

The announcement is expected about 10AM tomorrow.

I saw this on another site.
Big 7 2012-13 Count: Official and Final.

1. SFT 362

2. Perry 328

3. Holton 320

4. Jeff West 305

5. Royal Valley 290

6. Hiawatha 245

7. Sabetha 238

8. ACCHS 229

9. Nemaha Valley 201

10. Riverside 196

looks like Hiawatha will be 3A...

Bill,

Per Willy M
"Coach Hogan and BB is the only consistent winning LHS team--and they do play good BB"


According to your idea that Leavenworth should get out of the Sunflower League since they are now 5A, should SM South also get out of the Sunflower league since they are also 5A?

In response you comment that Leavenworth is not competitive in the league in any other sports than basketball. Leavenworth hasn't dominated the league in wrestling but they probably have been the most consistent team in the League in the 30 years they've been in it. Definitely not middle of the pack. You can fact check me on this, but the wrestling team has won as many championships as Coach Larry Hogan's basketball teams.

Also Jay's team's have been knocking on the door for the championship the last 3 years.

I'm looking forward to the battle of Eisenhower road. We need to get the Leavenworth vs Lansing Dual going.

OK!

Leavenworth had a great run a few years ago as repeat-repeat-repeat-?????? state champs in girls track. Then the coach retired.

A couple of bright spots in individuals boys track over the years---do not recall a Leavenworth team title--state or conference.

Leavenworth has not had a winning boys soccer team since 1997 when they made it to the state quarter finals and were beat by Wasburn Rural.

A couple of competitive volley ball teams a few years ago--same coach as the womens track--and then she retired.

Girls BB state champs 20 years ago--good coach left--not a lot since.

Baseball--mid pack 6A at best over the years.

Softball ???????.

Golf, tennis, mumbly peg? ?????????

Wrestling. Do not recall either a Leavenworth conference or a state team championship---do remember some very good Leavenworth individuals/champs/college and international wrestlers, and now an MMA fighter.

Shawnee Mission South. Another school, another town, another situation. Probably a better overall sports history. Don't know but think South's 81 student enrollment drop was caused by some SM District internal boundary and feeder school changes. South will remain just as competitive in Sunflower sports as a 5A school. Doubt if the conference will boot them (or take in KC Wyandotte).

Why is/was Leavenworth not competitive year-after-year in more sports? 1) the military connected student population and their family transfers VS established student population in other towns and schools. Difficult to build a winning tradition in several sports when the coaches get the individual athletes for only a couple of years---always in a rebuild situation. 2) Student athletes in Johnson County (Shawnee Mission, Blue Valley, Olathe) specialize and play a lot more highly competitive off season club sports.

Expect better things at a 5A Leavenworth. Would like to see a new 5A conference with Leavenworth, Lansing, Turner, Mill Valley, maybe St. James Academy, perhaps Big 4A Bonner Springs, plus ??????.

NE KS 5A wrestling just got very tough(er). Should be a lot less regional byes, less state qualifers with only one or zero regional tournament win(s). Don't remember Topeka HP as being particuarily tough in wrestling. Now, if KSHSAA will subjectively balance the regional assignments (spread the weaker teams through out the regional tournaments), it could get very tough!

Never intended to denigrate Coach Jay or his wrestlers with my original posts. But at 5A, Leavenworth is where it should have been years ago. LHS will probably increase it number of state qualifers---probably not much change in the number of state placers.

Nuff said!!!!!

Bill or Willy M,

I find it strange that you know so much about Leavenworth High School sports and and you're the wrestling guru of Leavenworth county but you can't remember one of the five Sunflower league championships Leavenworth won in wrestling (the same number as basketball).

PS Leavenworth is one of the three schools in the Eastern part of the state to win a state championship in the big class albeit 40 years ago. Also one a boys state track championship.

Fan of the Sport.

Sent you a PM

Hi all -- former Imac wrestling coach and LV Times sports editor Jeff Holmes calling in from Iowa. And it is so nice to see Lansing arrogance is alive and well as usual.

First of all, Coach Jay, way to stick to your guns. Always nice to see the blue and white being well-represented on the mat with a good coach; Schmidt taught you well.

Bill, I'm not even sure where to start with you. I'm not sure if there have been major changes in the last few years, but I know when I was there, Imac, Pleasant Ridge and (yes) Lansing had as much trouble with transient students due to the Fort. Possibly more so; the officers all seemed to want to live in Lansing for some reason. Your post makes it sound as if the majority of the Leavenworth student body are military dependents; I challenge you to prove it is a higher percentage there than it is in other the other three "metro" schools.

Yes, LV is out in the relative "boonies" compared to the rest of Sunflower, but they have also been a good fit there for decades. Have the Pioneers had the worst overall success level of all League schools over the last decade, or are there some JoCo schools with the same -- or worse -- numbers? I challenge you to find that out, too.

As for the enrollment differences, well, you'll love this one. I was in Kansas from 1997 through 2004, the first five years of that at Imac. Over that time, the Green and White was the smallest school in the KVL and were LESS than half the size of the next biggest school in the League (Perry). YET, over those five years, the football team won either three or four League titles (and beat Lansing four years in a row), won probably four out five boys' basketball championships, and were competitive (as in top two or three) in volleyball and girls' basketball every year. Heck, we even managed to move into the top half of KVL wrestling tournament my last year and won three League duals (with 14 kids).

And, the football team went at least two rounds deep in the playoffs three times, the boys' basketball team went to State and the volleyball and girls' basketball team went to State four years in a row each. Both soccer programs went deep into the post season most years as well. And that was as a SMALL 3A.

Yes, Imac's enrollment finally has forced them to go to the DVL, but the run they had a decade ago only proves my point.

My point is that enrollment shouldn't have anything to do with this. I applaud LV for staying in the Sunflower and hope they turn things around. But if they decide to leave, I'll be willing to bet they'll make a good decision as to where to go. Bill, I challenge you to come up with a better reason than the ones you've given.

Best to all -- Go Green, Go Blue!!!

JLH

Hello in Iowa. This is coming to you by dog sled.. Things must be slow in the drab, dull frozen north---the corn and beans should be in and snow is covering the fields--and you have the time to get involved in a local discussion.

Lots of your points I can rebut.

1). Did not demean Coach Johnson or his wrestlers. To me he lost his cool and raised an issue---but that seems to be how a lot of this community reacts.

2). Lansing has never suffer the transient student population nearly as much as Leavenworth. Why. We do not have as many active duty military families, nor do any of our high school students live on the military post. The Lansing population is more of a military retiree, Dept of the Army Civialian community. I have no figures to cite, but I hhave lived in Lansing for the last 19 years and I think I know the community. This is after Living in Leavenworth City for 10 years--my son played football at Leavenworth in 83, 84, and 85 (they were bad then and they haven't got better since. Could not block, pass, tackle, all synched, and do what a football TEAM needs to do. Why could they not do it---because the kids were together for maybe 2, at most 3, very rarely for 3, even less rarely for 4 years of practice and games). I did not make this up, this has been the Leavenworth mantra, alibi, excuse for the 29/30 years I have been here). As for Immac and PR, good programs--doubt they have a transient student problem as large as Leavenworth--know both have some success.

3). The Kaw Valley League is not the same league as it was when you were here. It is now a conference with 5A and big 4A schools. Immac would not now be competitive with a full schedule in this league. Immac is now a ?A school, in the DVL, and thats where they should be, playing schools their size--and they are not dominating.

4). It is not just enrollment that affects Leavenworth sports, it is the 1). the transient student population and 2) they are playing Johnson County kids who all play off season highly competitive club sports. Football fields at Heritage Park in south Johnson County are full playing off season 7 on 7 (doubt there are few if any Leavenworth kids playing. Same goes for soccer--15 years ago there were three competitive Leavenworth/Lansing/Immac competitive soccer teams playing in Johnson VCounty. Think the LVN Soccer Association now has one boys and one girls HS level competitive club team. See in the paper that some middle school age and younger teams have some success in softball. Do not know of any local club VB teams but think a few girls play on KC teams. Know there is a succesful KIDS Wrestling Club local--not sure how many high schoolers wrestle in the off season. kingStudent athletes today are specialist---if a kid does not play competitive off season sports---he is behind the power curve.

5). Leavenworth is a 5A school this year--except for football (because of the 2 year lockin). A recently completed Leavenworth School District population study projects district enrollment will drop in the near future, and remain low for the next 20 years. Conversely, Lansing continues to grow and has a bond issue on the November ballot to build a new 1200 student high school, expandable to 1600 students Basehor continues to grow and could be a 5A in a few years. Mill Valley is now a big 5A.

Give the Leavenworth student athletes, their parents and supporters, and the coaches a break--let them feel the joy of success (winning)-or at least not loosing by some ridiculous high scores. The only consistent winner at leavenworth HS is Coach Hogan and his BB program--and he is consistent in the Sunflower.

One poster said Leavenworth won the state wrestling tournament in 1972. Absolutely great!!! Not sure Leavenworth was in the Sunflower then--may have been in the Centennial League with Topeka school. Don't think half of the Sunflower schools had been built by 1972. SM East, S, N, and NW were probably there. SM West may have been built after 1972. Lawrence Free State did not arrive till the 1990s. Think Olathe N may have been the only Olathe HS in 72---East, South, and NW have been built since I got here. Stillwell Blue Valley, and maybe Blue Valley North, were the only BV HSs. Lots of changes.

Closing, IMO the best thing for Leavenworth HS is to drop out of the Sunflower and join in a new 5A conference with 5A Lansing, Turner, Mill Valley, perhaps 5A St James Academy, and either some big 4A schools, Bonner Springs and Basehor, or the three 5A KC, Kansas high schools (Washington, Schlagle, and Harmon). But, I bet, Leavenworth will never agree to being in a league with those slugo inner city KC, Ks schools.

Pardon any speling and gramer erors. I type faster than I think---or do I think faster than I type

"...slugo inner city KC Ks schools."

I have nothing to add.

Bill

Just want to provide you some updated info based on your comments above.....

1. Leavenworth, Lansing and Pleasant Ridge have a pretty good number of high school kids wrestle during the spring and summer. Not all of them compete all the time but we usually have 20-30 kids in the room for practices.

2. You mentioned not having high school level team sports in our area such as soccer, volleyball, etc. We have some but most of the kids are forced to play on teams in the Kansas City area because of KSHSAA rules. For team sports you can only have a set number of kids from one school on your club team. The number for every sport is different but it makes it hard in our area to have enough club teams to stay in compliance with these rules, therefore kids have to go to the KC area to play on those teams.

3. I think you would be surprised at the actual number of kids playing on a variety of club teams in all sports in the Leavenworth/Lansing area. Volleyball has a great program for kids that was started by Julie Schlater, baseball has the Reds and the BlueJays (each started/supported by the respective high school coaches), basketball and track have the Force, soccer has LUSC, etc. All of these are great club programs that get our kids experience before and during high school.

4. One of the reasons you see the football fields in Johnson County is because that is a club sport down there. Their middle schools do not have football or a lot of other sports for that age group (to include wrestling).

This is not meant to get in the middle of this debate....just wanted to provide you some facts based on the way things are currently.

Bottomline: The main reason you don't see a lot of local club level team sports in our area is because of the KSHSAA rules that limit the number of kids from one high school that you can have on a team. (If you have questions on the KSHSAA rules please contact Will Cokeley as he is a great supporter of that organization and their rules...ha!)

Shawn Budke
Head Coach
Leavenworth County Spartans

PS- You talked with my son a couple of weeks ago at the Lansing soccer game.

Thanks for your reply.

I did talk to your son at a Lansing soccer game. Could tell he was a wrestler from 15 yards away. Had that wrestler look and body: buff, maybe a little caulifllower, plus he was wearing a wrestling club T shirt. Think he said he is an 8th grader at Lansing MS and will wrestle for Coach Averil as soon as MS football is over. Really a nice young man, carries on a very good conversation--and READY TO RUMBLE. Will have to go see Lansing MS wrestle.

Did not intend to denigrate Leavenworth HS, its athletes or coaches. As I have said, my older son attended and played football at Leavenworth--my wife was a teacher and guidance counselor at Leavenworth.

I also know about the KSHSAA rule on quote quote HS squad members on off season teams. In the early and mid 90s I sponsored, managed and coached competitive youth soccer teams that played in a youth league out of Topeka, then at Heritage Park in Johnson County. We played in the Kansas State Games and traveled to tournaments in Topeka, Emporia, KC, and St. Joe. A successful team--sent 9 club players to play college soccer: five to William Jewel at liberty, and four to community colleges. My players were mostly from Lansing with a couple from Leavenworth and a couple from Immac. All local soccer players in those days all started in rec soccer at Ft Leavenworth, and those that stayed local advanced to the Fort based TRAVELERS competitive teams. There was no soccer and no fields in either Leavenworth or Lansing. As me and a couple of guys in Lansing formed rec soccer teams in both Leavenworth and Lansing, the Fort TRAVELERS folded. I picked up most of the better players and formed my U14 and U16 Johnson County team. There was one or two competitive local teams with older players (U16s then U18s). Note: these teams were not affiliated with an umbrella club, they were all independent, formed by the individual coaches.

After the 1995 ??? KSHSAA "SQUAD" rule it was difficult if impossible to form local competitive teams. For some reasson kids from the three local high schools, especially Immac kids with Lansing kids, did not want to play together. Without players from all three HS, and all at the same HS squad level (no mixing of varsity and JV players from one HS) , it was futile to try to play competitive club soccer. A very great disappoint. That KSHSAA SQUAD ruling affected all high school level competive teams in all sports in all Kansas small cities and towns--minimal effects in the bigger population centers with multiple area high schools and established youth rec and club sports: i.e. Johnsonm County, Topeka, and Wichita.

Hats off to those few locals who have stayed with an/or initiated youth and club teams: Coach Slater, the Leavenworth Soccer Association, the FORCE, your youth wrestling club, and any and all others who spend a lot of time, effort, and as you know: MONEY to keep the programs going.

I do and will continue to believe that much better things would be in the future for Leav HS athletes and teams in 5A and if they dropped out of the Sunflower. A great thing for all local HS sports would be for Leavenworth and Lansing to join in a new 5A conference with some other area 5A schools (Mill Valley, Turner, St. James, maybe Bonner who is on the cusp between 4A and 5A, plus others left un-named. Will 5A Leavenworth do better in 5A wrestling---can't say. 5A is tough and got tougher this year with Leav, SM South, and St. James.

Keep up the good work coach. We all depend on the wreslers you and your coaches prepare for our high schools!!!!