Loudonville to join the KMAC in all sports in 2024-2025
LOUDONVILLE — Loudonville High School will soon be a full-fledged member of the Knox-Morrow Athletic Conference in 2024-2025.
The Loudonville Board of Education approved joining the conference on Monday.
The Redbirds joined as an affiliate in wrestling two years ago and in football last year.
Loudonville High School Athletics Director and girls varsity basketball coach Tyler Bates says he's thrilled about this opportunity for their student-athletes.
"We've been looking for a few years now for something that can benefit us long-term, not just from a varsity standpoint, but for our JV and junior high teams as well," Bates noted. "We think the KMAC provides that opportunity for us, and it does so with some schools we have some rich history within our athletic department."
The KMAC is currently comprised of Danville, East Knox, Centerburg, Fredericktown, Cardington, Mount Gilead, and Northmor.
"Our players, coaches, and alumni are thrilled with this move, as they remember the days when we use to compete with a number of these schools in other conferences," Bates said. "They've kind of been yearning to get back to that point where the crowds are a little bit bigger because of those schools' fan bases, and also just across the board, this move provides us with a chance to play in a league that's a little more competitive for all sports.
"And I think that's something that appeals to everybody."
The travel aspect also comes into play.
"Because of the league we've been playing in currently (Mid-Buckeye Conference) we have a number of non-league games with added travel as we work to fill the schedule," Bates pointed out. "As we look at the KMAC with seven other schools that are relatively close to us, it solidifies the schedule.
"We'll still have some non-league opportunities to hit the road," he added. "Overall this does provide us with a more local base for our schedule."
Bates says the football and wrestling teams found out quickly the KMAC would be a good fit.
"Ever since we got a little bit of a taste in the KMAC with those two programs, we've wanted to make sure it would be equitable for all of our sports and provide that opportunity for the other teams in our schools," Bates said. "We're grateful after a few years of wrestling and football, we're able to look ahead now and know we have a home for all of our teams moving forward."
Bates says it will also help with scheduling at the high school and junior high levels.
"We're going to have to really utilize the facility space we have in the meantime to make sure we get all of our home games hosted in the right place this year," Bates noted. "It's a major positive for us from a scheduling standpoint. It's been tough to fill some of the schedules recently, and this provides us with a lifeline and should help us out a lot.
"And, with that being said, we're still excited about our last year in the Mid-Buckeye Conference, and we think we can do great things there."
This article originally appeared on Ashland Times Gazette: Loudonville to join the KMAC in all sports in 2024-2025
