Delphos St. John’s staying in the MAC

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent sports

DELPHOS — After mulling an offer to change conference affliation, Delphos St. John’s is staying put.

A press release issued Friday morning stated St. John the Evangelist Catholic School has decided to remain a member of the Midwest Athletic Conference (MAC).

“Following an invitation from the Northwest Conference, this decision was made after a comprehensive evaluation of the school’s athletic program, its mission, and long-term goals, as well as discussions between school leadership, coaches, and school supporters,” the school said in a statement. “St. John the Evangelist Catholic School will continue to build upon the strong foundation of faith, tradition and excellence that has been established by so many Blue Jays past and present.”

Earlier this year, the Northwest Conference extended invitations to Delphos St. John’s and fellow MAC member Parkway to join the NWC. Parkway too, declined the invitation after hearing from district residents and alumni. Both Delphos St. John’s and Parkway were also extended invitations in 2023, but both declined.

The Midwest Athletic Conference is comprised of Coldwater, Delphos St. John’s, Fort Recovery, Marion Local, Minster, New Bremen, New Knoxville, Parkway, St. Henry, and Versailles. Anna is a football-only member. The MAC is considered the premiere small school conference in Ohio and one of the top ones in the country.

The Northwest Conference is made up of Allen East, Bluffton, Crestview, Columbus Grove (also a member of the Putnam County League), Delphos Jefferson, Lima Central Catholic, Lincolnview and Spencerville, with Fort Loramie as a football-only member. However, the conference has been in a state of flux over the last five years. Paulding left for the Green Meadows Conference in 2021 and was replaced by Leipsic, who left in 2024 for the Blanchard Valley Conference, along with Ada. After leaving in 2013, Lima Central Catholic rejoined the conference in 2024, along with Fort Loramie just for football.