Time for a change

Something’s gotta give. The FVC’s original alignment just hasn’t worked out. The conference made a mistake in how it split its clubs into two division a couple years back. I was reminded of this after suffering through the one hour-plus trek from Huntley to Grayslake last week. I’ve always said that I thought the conference lacked long-term vision when it seemingly rushed into splitting the school into the Valley and the Fox. It wrongly sacrificed rivalries for two divisions based on enrollment, with the three Crystal Lake school somehow not playing each other at all in some sports because Prairie Ridge and Crystal Lake Central are in the Fox and Crystal Lake South is in the Valley. In addition, the Huntley baseball team has to make the miserable trip to Grayslake for at least three division games during the spring. I believe FVC athletic directors hold their conference on such matters every two years, meaning they aren’t likely to discuss realignment until after next school year. With brand new Woodstock North set to join the conference in 2009-10, that would be the perfect time to set things right. Here’s my idea for FVC realignment:

South Division — Jacobs, Dundee-Crown, Prairie Ridge, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Huntley, Cary-Grove.

North Division — Grayslake North, Grayslake Central, Woodstock North, Woodstock Central, McHenry and Johnsburg. (The league will have to add or subtract a school with the addition of Woodstock North).