Realignment again for Northern Section

Shuffling schools in and out of leagues is nothing new for the Northern Section — every other year is realignment time.

Due to enrollment fluctuation and financial drought in certain athletic programs, schools are forced to go through the process whether they like it or not.

This upcoming fall sports season is no different.

The 2008-09 school year will present minor changes for most Mid-Valley schools after a restructuring agreement the section committee adopted in the spring of 2007.

East Nicolaus High, however, is the lone school thrown into an entirely new league, while Colusa High and Maxwell High have also relocated for football only. Also making an impact, Williams High moved down from Division III to Division IV.

"From what I understand, the driving force to shift things around is that Williams had to move back from Division III to IV, and with our recent success, we moved up to Division III," said East Nicolaus softball coach and assistant football coach Richard Quick. "They had to even it out. But I don't think anyone is upset about it."

While East Nicolaus' enrollment hasn't changed drastically enough to necessitate the move up to D-III, the Spartans' winning programs and success against D-III schools provided the committee with reason to bump the Spartans up another level.

East Nicolaus will leave the Sacramento Valley League after being a member since the 1930s.

The National Conference, which includes three leagues, one of which, the Butte View League, consists of Gridley, Sutter and Wheatland, has gone untouched.

The California Conference, which is also made up of three leagues and includes Maxwell, has also gone unchanged — except in football.

In football, the California Conference has been combined with the American Conference, which saw the most alterations take place.

The California/American Conference has been broken down into four leagues for football only: Sacramento Valley League, Mid-Valley League, Shasta Cascade League and Evergreen League.

Instead of a 12-team North-South split SVL, the league was compacted into a seven-school league made up of Durham, Live Oak, Pierce, Mt. Shasta, Rio Vista, Trinity and Willows. Four of its former teams, including Colusa and East Nicolaus have moved to the MVL, while Delta High is no longer in the section.

With gas prices climbing, East Nicolaus baseball coach Dave Deniz was glad to see Delta, a south Yolo County school, be incorporated into the Sac-Joaquin Section.

"It just makes sense," he said. "I'm surprised Rio Vista didn't go with them."

Colusa, East Nicolaus, Portola and Quincy will join existing MVL members Biggs, Esparto, Hamilton City and Williams in what should make up a rival-heavy league.

Colusa and Williams are natural geographic rivals. East Nicolaus and Biggs will have their opportunity to rekindle an old feud on the gridiron.

"Biggs and us ... it's a historic rivalry. I can tell you we always play up for that game," Quick said. "Old-timers who played football at Nicolaus still hate Biggs — and they'll tell you. I think naturally, and especially more recently, Esparto has become a rival, too."

Los Molinos is the sole team to move out of the MVL and into the SCL, which includes Burney, Chester, Etna, Fall River, Modoc and Weed. Meanwhile, Mercy and University Prep have moved out the MVL and into the Evergreen League, which includes Maxwell, Hayfork and Tulelake.

Maxwell went from California Conference's old North Valley League and made the shift to the Evergreen League, along with Hayfork. Tulelake is the only continuing member of the Evergreen League.

In all sports except football, the American Conference has had quite a makeover, but has only affected few local schools.

Like the SVL, the MVL's North-South splits are no longer. Instead, the conference added a fifth league — the Tri-Cities League — to end the divisions.

Now, the SVL consist of Durham, Colusa, Live Oak, Pierce and Willows, while former member East Nicolaus has moved to the MVL.

The MVL has also seen modification.

The MVL is now made up of Biggs, Esparto, Hamilton City, Los Molinos, Williams and, of course, East Nicolaus, while Liberty Christian, Mercy, Redding Christian and University Prep have moved to the Tri-Cities League.

The Shasta Cascade and Feather River leagues went unchanged.

"We're kind of excited about being in a new league and facing new opponents," Quick said.

Contact sports reporter Bryan DeMain at bdemain@appeal-democrat.com or 749-4796