Comstock leaves Wolverine Conference

The Wolverine Conference, in the final stages of its first year of expansion, will need to find at least one more team following the 2014-15 season.

The Comstock Board of Education voted Monday night to accept the invitation of the Kalamazoo Valley Association. The Colts will join the league following the 2014-15 season.

“We have some work to do,” said Allegan Athletic Director Gary Ellis, who is the Wolverine Conference secretary. “We don’t have anything definite in mind at this point. We will review where things are at and who is interested and would be a good fit.

“We are in the early stages. We haven’t had a meeting yet. At our last meeting, Justin (Ansel) discussed what the situation was. It became final last night. Now we have to sort through things and make the best of it.”

Dowagiac Athletic Director Brent Nate said he was not surprised by the move and that it is what is best for Comstock.

“The KVA is a better fit for them, both geographically and athletically,” Nate said. “Unfortunately the conference realignment will only have two full years and never got a chance to strive and succeed to get an identity.”

Nate noted he believes you will see a major conference realignment in the near future because of the changing demographics of southwest Michigan.

“I think you will see more conference realignment to fit individual school’s needs,” he said. “Some schools are going to eight-man football, while other schools are cutting freshmen football. We might need to find three or four freshmen games to fill our schedule.”

Edwardsburg was one of three teams that joined the Wolverine Conference this season. The Eddies were admitted along with former Lakeland Conference mates Berrien Springs and Coloma.

“It doesn’t surprise me because I knew it was a possibility when we were joining,” Edwardsburg Athletic Director Kevin Dean said. “I don’t blame them. They know where they fit at this point. It will be interesting to see what happens now. We will probably discuss it at the next meeting in May.”

Buchanan, which was not invited to join the league, was one of several schools that did submit an application for admittance to the Wolverine and could be one of the teams the league targets when it decides who will replace the Colts.

The Bucks remain in the Lakeland Conference with Bridgman, Cassopolis and Brandywine.

That league has been looking at expansion in recent months and was waiting to see what was going to happen with the KVA before moving forward. Now that the KVA has selected just one team, further conference realignment plans for the Lakeland, Red Arrow and St. Joseph Valley could begin moving forward quickly.

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