Monday Mailbag: MAC vs. NWC, more

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

This week’s Monday Mailbag features questions about Parkway, Delphos St. John’s and the NWC, Van Wert football and opening night surprises.

Q: It comes up every year – why doesn’t Parkway and St. John’s join the NWC?

Not to downgrade the NWC which is one of the stronger conferences around, but most would agree that the MAC is the premiere small school conference in the state of Ohio. That said, I understand why they have turned down invitations to join the NWC. Name withheld upon request

A: You’re right, it does seem to come up every year and there may be good reasons for that.

If you’re talking about travel, wouldn’t Delphos St. John’s be much better suited to the the NWC? No more trips to Versailles, Minster, Anna, Coldwater, Marion Local etc? Those trips are in the neighborhood of 50 minutes to an hour each way. Had the Blue Jays accepted the NWC’s invitation, the longest drive would have been about 30 minutes, to Allen East and Columbus Grove. That’s good for all sports, especially for weeknight games. Then there would be the trips to Delphos Jefferson, Lincolnview and Spencerville, all 15 minutes or less.

In Parkway’s case, it’s a matter of competitiveness in football. When the NWC invitation came, it was pointed out that the Panthers have won something like 10 percent of their conference football games. How is that good for anyone involved? That’s not a knock on anyone, but it’s a legit concern. At some point, a serious discussion has to be had about that. 

Yes, the MAC certainly is the premiere small school conference in Ohio (and I would argue one of the top ones in the country) and there’s something to be said about being a member of it. I get that, but at what price does it come? I understand both teams have enjoyed success in other sports (Delphos St. John’s had a football dynasty from 1997-2010), but let’s face it – football drives the bus.

The powers-that-be at both schools made the decision they thought was best for them. We can question it but in the end, they did what they thought was right. Who knows, things may change in the coming years.

Q: There were some surprises during the opening night of high school football. Which do you think was the biggest one? Name withheld upon request

A: If I had to pick, I would probably say Shawnee’s Thursday night victory over Lima Central Central Catholic. The Indians were coming off an 0-10 season but new head coach Shane Wireman’s team jumped out to a 20-7 halftime lead, then scored two touchdowns late to secure a 33-19 win over a highly regarded Thunderbird team.

Delphos Jefferson’s 33-0 win over North College Hill was a pleasant surprise and while many people thought Columbus Grove would beat Pandora-Gilboa, not many thought it would be by such a wide margin (35-7).

I have to admit – Napoleon’s 35-34 overtime win over Defiance was a bit surprising to me as well. It doesn’t get any easier for the Bulldogs, as they open WBL play at Wapakoneta this Friday night.

Q: What are your thoughts on Van Wert after the Cougars soundly beat Bryan in the opener? Name withheld upon request

A: My thoughts are that after a slow start, the Cougars got on a roll and enjoyed a very comfortable season opening win. 510 yards with basically a new offense is pretty impressive and the defense bent a couple of times but didn’t break.

No disrespect to Bryan, but I also think the competition is going to get tougher, starting this Friday night. It should be an interesting game between Van Wert and Bath.

Due to the Labor Day holiday, the next Monday Mailbag will be published on Tuesday, September 3. If you have a sports question or comment, please email it to sports@thevwindependent.com.