Morris would be good addition

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The conference-change rumor mill never stops in high school sports. It often is hard to tell if there's any truth to this school switching to that conference. We got something concrete Friday, when one of SVN's sister publications, the Morris Daily Herald, reported that the NCIC has formally invited Morris High School to join the conference in fall 2009. Talk about aiming high. The Redskins have one of the best sports programs for a school its size in Illinois, led, of course, by a football team you might have heard about. In the past 25 seasons, the Redskins have qualified for 23 postseasons. They've won three state championships and finished second six more times. The Redskins have dominated the Southwest Prairie Conference in football, but the school's enrollment hasn't kept up with the growth of the Plainfield and Oswego areas. Football isn't the reason Morris is looking to move, but it is a big factor in why the NCIC is courting the school. Morris would immediately move to the head of the NCIC's football class. I see that as a good thing. Who could boast a Class 5A conference tougher than one with Sterling, Geneseo, LaSalle-Peru and Morris? Plus Ottawa, a traditionally strong 6A school, and Dixon and Streator, each of which are capable of good things. Most of the noise I've heard wonders why the NCIC schools would invite Morris. The NCIC is nice, they say, but incapable of competing with a football program like the Redskins. Not true. Just look at the 2007 5A playoff bracket. Yes, Morris won the top half, which included all three NCIC qualifiers. But, the Skins only beat Woodstock Marian 10-9 in the semifinals. The same Marian team that Sterling competed with. The same Marian that squeaked past Nazareth Š the team that beat Geneseo Š 34-27. And who did Morris lose to in the championship? Metamora, which Sterling beat in 2005. I'm not saying it wouldn't take a special team to beat the Redskins, but I am saying each school is capable. Other sports would fit right in. Some are traditionally strong, some are weak (its boys basketball team went 8-21 last year). Nothing is close to final yet. Many things would have to be ironed out before Morris came aboard. The NCIC's administrators have long talked about an ultimate goal of a 16-team megaconference. This may just be the first step of that plan. Then again, NCIC chatter just as often centers around who might leave. Kewanee and the Olympic Conference have had a long flirtation period, and Hall has explored its options as well. You have to wonder if the league is bracing itself if a school leaves, as was the case when Rochelle was replaced by Illinois Valley Central two years ago. Either way, I hope Morris joins the NCIC. It would make for quite a few long road trips, but the conference already has that problem, doesn't it?