Several high schools changing conferences in 2012

While it's increasingly common to hear of some major college programs moving to another conference, the tectonic shift doesn't always happen at the high school level.

This past week was certainly the exception in southwest Ohio.

The Fort Ancient Valley Conference – one of the oldest conferences in the area – won't look the same starting in the 2012-13 school year.

On Tuesday, seven current members announced their intentions to leave the conference and form a new league, which hasn't yet been named.

Anderson (Cincinnati), Glen Este (Cincinnati), Kings, Loveland, Turpin (Cincinnati) and Walnut Hills (Cincinnati) will leave the conference after next school year. School officials plan to seek an eighth school.

The Pulse Journal reported Ross (Hamilton), Talawanda (Oxford), Edgewood (Trenton), Harrison, Northwest (Cincinnati) and Mt. Healthy (Cincinnati) announced intentions to leave the conference and form a new league.
Wilmington also announced its intention to leave the conference. On Wednesday, Norwood was accepted into the Southern Buckeye Conference for 2012-13.

"I think it was a shock that schools were ready to just leave," FAVC commissioner Steve Borich told the newspaper. "Every two-three years we have been losing a school. That has been one of the league's problems. Every few years a school feels like it can't compete and it leaves. I had no inkling of this at the beginning of the year."

What does all this mean? For next school year (2011-12), little should change in the way of scheduling. Yet, it will be interesting to see how football teams will schedule their non-league games starting in 2012.

Turpin and Anderson – both Forest Hills school districts – have a long-standing rivalry but played in separate divisions in the FAVC. Playing each year will definitely be highly anticipated from both schools on the east side of Cincinnati.

The new conferences will also likely be organized in a geographical format that makes sense for transportation and scheduling procedures.

"We feel that the six schools that we are forming a league with have the same philosophy of competition and stability that we do and we look forward to a long partnership with them," Kings athletic director Matt Koenig told the newspaper.

BOREN COMMITS TO OHIO STATE
Pickerington Central junior lineman Jacoby Boren verbally committed to Ohio State the first week of December, according to published reports. Boren, who is 6-2 ½ and 275 pounds, will be the third brother to play at Ohio State after senior guard Justin and sophomore fullback Zach, according to the Columbus Dispatch. Jacoby could play guard or center at Ohio State, according to the publication.

MINCEY COMMITS TO MARSHALL
Fairfield senior defensive lineman Robert Mincey verbally committed to Marshall on Dec. 5. Mincey, who is 6-foot-4 and 265 pounds, had also considered offers from Kansas, Illinois and several Mid-American Conference programs. He took visits to Bowling Green and Toledo, but felt most comfortable with the coaching staff and facilities at Marshall, according to Fairfield coach Aaron Fitzstephens.

ELDER SCHEDULES KENTUCKY STATE CHAMP
The Elder (Cincinnati) football team has a home-and-home agreement with Highlands (Fort Thomas, Ky.) for 2011 and '12. Elder will play host to Highlands in Week 9 in 2011 and play at the northern Kentucky school in 2012. Highlands defeated Christian County 50-0 to win the Kentucky 5A state title on Dec. 4. The Cincinnati Enquirer reported Elder's opponents for 2011 will also likely include Lakota West, Louisville Trinity (Ky.), Indianapolis Chatard and 2010 Ohio Division I state champion Lakewood St. Edward.

PRINCETON CONTINUES SEARCH FOR COACH
The Princeton (Cincinnati) High School head football coaching vacancy is attracting a large number of candidates, according to the school. The athletic department has reported receiving a handful of resumes each day for the position. The application deadline is Dec. 17 and the school plans to conduct the first round of interviews during winter break. The school announced earlier this fall that head coach Bill Leach would not return for the 2011 season.

TOP STANDOUTS
* Shelby Sheets, Fayetteville girls basketball: The senior guard had 19 points, six assists and six steals in a 68-61 win over Peebles. Sheets is one of Cincinnati area's top players in the 2011 class.

* Nikki McKee, Wyoming (Cincinnati) girls basketball: The senior guard had 18 points and eight rebounds in a 49-38 win over Cincinnati Country Day. McKee averaged 22.5 points through the team's first two games.

* Vincent Edwards, North College Hill (Cincinnati) boys basketball: The senior forward had 18 points to lead the Trojans past Cincinnati Hills Christian Academy 53-47 in a Miami Valley Conference game. North College Hill improved to 2-0 after that game.

THIS WEEK
* Lakota West (West Chester) at La Salle (Cincinnati) boys basketball, 7:30 p.m. Tuesday: This should be one of the premier games early in the season. La Salle is led by seniors Ryan Fleming (Northern Kentucky University commit) and Brandon Neel, who is a Division I college prospect. Lakota West is led by sophomore forward Monty Boykins, who has an early offer from Miami University.

* Ursuline (Youngstown) at Anderson (Cincinnati) girls basketball, 7:30 p.m. Thursday: Both teams had quick starts to the season. Anderson started 2-0, holding its opponents to 32 points each game. Junior guard Kara Giesting averaged four assists through two games. Ursuline is the reigning Girls Greater Cincinnati League Scarlet division champion.

* Snowflake Invitational gymnastics meet, 10 a.m. Saturday: This annual meet marks the first significant gymnastics meet in the Cincinnati area this winter. Anderson (Cincinnati), Beavercreek, Cincinnati Country Day (Cincinnati), Hamilton, Lakota East (Liberty Township), Lakota West (West Chester), Mason, Seven Hills (Cincinnati) and host Turpin (Cincinnati) are expected to participate.

RECRUITING NEWS
Fairfield senior linebacker Marquise Vann (6-1, 215) was scheduled to take an official visit to UConn this weekend. Vann verbally committed to Minnesota, but has been looking at other options. …Colerain senior linebacker Andrew Smith was scheduled to visit Cincinnati this weekend. He has several other offers, including Stanford, Virginia and Mid-American Conference programs. …Troy junior running back/defensive back Marcus Foster has reportedly been offered by Cincinnati, according to ScoutingOhio.com. Foster is 6-foot-1 and 190 pounds. …Trotwood-Madison junior free safety George "Bam" Bradley was reportedly offered by Tennessee, according to ScoutingOhio.com. Bradley, who is 6-2 and 185 pounds, also has offers from Kentucky and Northwestern. …Pickerington North senior tight end Darien Bryant (6-4, 220) was reportedly offered by Wake Forest, according to ScoutingOhio.com. Bryant also has offers that include Nebraska, North Carolina, West Virginia, Maryland, Michigan and several others.

RANDOM THOUGHTS
The Troy boys' bowling team won the seventh annual Ohio High School Invitational Kickoff Tournament in Columbus last weekend. St. Xavier (Cincinnati) was No. 2 in the team standings. In the girls' standings, Troy finished second. … Archbishop Moeller (Cincinnati) finished as the runner-up in the Moeller Super Duals wrestling meet on Dec. 4. The meet featured several top-ranked teams, including defending Division I state champion Wadsworth, which won the meet. …Former Moeller baseball head coach Mike Cameron will be the Crusaders' junior varsity coach this upcoming spring after spending the past two seasons as the assistant freshman coach. Cameron coached for 39 years at the school before he retired after the 2007 season. He coached former Major League players Ken Griffey Jr., Barry Larkin and Buddy Bell.

Information from the Cincinnati Enquirer, Pulse Journal, ScoutingOhio.com, Dayton Daily News was used in this report.