Lima CC to rejoin NWC, Ft. Loramie invited

VW independent sports

With Ada and Leipsic slated to leave the Northwest Conference at the end of the 2023-2024 school year, two new members are joining the conference, one as a full member and the other for football-only.

Lima Central Catholic is joining the conference for the 2024-2025 school year. The announcement was made via a press release issued by the NWC Friday afternoon. The Thunderbirds competed in the NWC from 2006-2013 but were voted out over concerns from other conference members about competitive balance. Lima Central Catholic has competed as an independent ever since.

Fort Loramie has been extended an invitation as a football-only member. The school is a member of the Shelby County Athletic League for all sports but football. The Redskins were football-only members of the Cross County Conference, which no longer exists. Since 2021, Fort Loramie has competed as an independent in football and reached out to the NWC to express interest in joining the conference as a football-only member. The Fort Loramie Board of Education is scheduled to meet on Monday to consider the invitation.

Ada and Leipsic are both leaving the NWC to join the Blanchard Valley Conference. Ada has been a member of the NWC since 1964. Leipsic joined the conference in 2021 as a replacement for Paulding, who left for the Green Meadows Conference.