Sandusky officially joins NOL: Everyone wins!

Surprise! Well, not really.

In a move that was rooted as far back as early December, the Sandusky High School Blue Streaks finally have gotten out of the travel albatross known as the Greater Buckeye Conference and were approved as members of the nearby Northern Ohio League Tuesday night, effective for the 2011-12 school year.

Just last week in this blog I wrote that the NOL was going to take the summer off before deciding Sandusky and Marion Harding's fate as league members, but let's just say after such comments were made and reported on, business picked up quite a bit and Tuesday everyone in attendance said yes to welcome the Streaks with open arms in two years. I'll leave it at that.

Sandusky in. Marion Harding out. Fostoria maybe on the way out. Hey, look at it this way, if Fostoria does decide to leave the NOL (I won't cry), remaining at six teams while not ideal sure as hell beats being stuck with an odd and short number of five teams. Yikes.

Now that it is FINALLY official, (I've waited months to write this story), let's look at the positives and negatives of Sandusky's move to the NOL.

Positives:

1. Travel, travel, travel - Can't say it enough. Sandusky will save 326 miles round-trip in the NOL (if Fostoria stays)  for sports trips compared to the current GBC. Then factor in the average price of diesel fuel per gallon (currently $2.57) and we're talking nearly $1,000 dollars saved per sport at the high school level if they traveled to each NOL school once that particular sport/season. In tough economic times, that money back in the school system alone makes this a no-brainer.

2. New fresh and local matchups - Bellevue vs. Sandusky in football and basketball...Sandusky vs. Shelby and Columbian in football...Sandusky vs. Norwalk in baseball, etc, etc etc. You get the point. Whenever something like this happens, it's always fun when the new teams get together for the first time, although in Sandusky's case they play at least one of Bellevue, Norwalk and Willard already in I believe every single sport or close to it, but now it really counts with league implications on the line. I'm still having a hard time picturing the silver helmets with the red feather of Bellevue charging out onto Strobel FIeld to take on the Streaks, but by golly it's going to happen.

3. Improved media coverage - Not only did the GBC put a cramp on Sandusky fans and even the marching band in football making those long trips to Lima, Napoleon, Findlay and Marion, but it also didn't allow the Register sports department to make those trips either due to deadline issues. It also meant no photography most of the time as well, but in the NOL that will all change. If you simply sub out the three furthest GBC trips (Lima- 108 miles, Napoleon- 86 miles, Marion- 64 miles) for the three closest NOL games (Bellevue- 15 miles, Norwalk- 19 miles, Willard- 31 miles), then it's pretty stinkin' obvious how much easier that will be on staffing more Sandusky High events. We're all excited about it here at the Register, and of course in the end, it also means more coverage for area student-athletes, which is why I for one am in this business to begin with.

Negatives:

1. Fremont Ross bumped to non-league - I really can't find many negatives in this move currently, but this is certainly one of them. Sure the schools will probably still play each other non-league in every sport, as SHS Athletic Director Susan Sackett called it a 'top priority', but it just won't be the same with Ross not being in the same league, although I'm holding out hope they still could be one day. Gone will be the days of home-and-home matchups in sports like volleyball, basketball, baseball, softball, etc. and of course Ross-Sandusky is surely at this point no longer going to be the final football game of the season anymore in Week 10 with the schools being now set to be non-league foes, and that's just too bad.

2. One shaky league to another - As much as I've written about how great this move is, I'm also not going to gloss over the fact that the NOL still has a lot of work to do in terms of stability. Right now the NOL is at seven teams for 2011 instead of eight, which isn't terrible, but it's also no secret Fostoria tried joining the Suburban Lakes League just five months ago and got rejected, but most of those schools that wanted them have disbanded the SLL and formed their own new conference (Northern Buckeye) and Fostoria appears to be, on paper anyway, one of their top targets. At this point, it's fair to say an NBC invite will draw Fostoria's interest, and if they leave, Sandusky is right back to what they don't want and are in the GBC: a six-team league. It's a scheduling nightmare (Sackett's words, not mine) and my only hope that is if Fostoria leaves, then perhaps the door isn't completely closed on Ross or Vermilion, who tried getting in the NOL six years ago and currently find themselves in a shaky situation in the West Shore Conference. Either way, if the NOL don't stay at seven or get to eight teams, then scheduling-wise Sandusky is in the same boat, just closer to home.

3. Unfair expectations coming in - Perception is such a strong word when it comes to Sandusky, and quite frankly they will always have trouble shaking it. Ever since the Sensational 60's decade in football and their long-term success in boy's basketball, the two "money-making" sports, Sandusky has always had this persona locally of being the big bad Goliath waiting to bully you around on your way to class. But times have changed and Sandusky is no longer that far and away huge school in the area anymore. They are still the biggest yes, but the gap is being closed as SHS is projected to be under 950 kids by 2011 (words I NEVER thought I'd type) . And let's face it, Sandusky athletics have been down since the old Erie Shore Conference disbanded 12 years ago and for those who think SHS will walk into the NOL and dominate just because they are the biggest school have another thing coming. There are some traditonally-strong programs waiting for the Streaks, and they'll have to fit in, not walk in, when they arrive. People thought Fostoria was going to do the same thing upon their arrival six years ago and to be honest, I don't know that they've 'dominated' in anything. SHS shouldn't be expected to step right in and dominate in anything, but I have a feeling the "casual fan" is going to put that label on them in certain sports, which is completely unfair.