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Seeing those teams from Central Platte Conference reminds me of several guys that went to Kearney St. while I was there. Actually my roommate my freshman year was from Eustis.
Also, in 1982-83, the year Lawrence won state in football they dominated the eight man D-1 all-state team. Had at least 4 on 1st team and 3-4 others that were honorable mention. That was also first year they divided conference into 3 divisions (blue, green, red) from the east and west divisions.
Played in the Good Old Loup Valley Conference
Anselmo-Merna
Ansley
Callaway
Sargent
Sandhills
Litchfield
Thedford
Mullen
I believe Arnold, Arcadia and Taylor were once members too
Mid to Late 80's were very good football years.
87- Ansley was state champ and A-M, Sargent , Mullen were definitely in the top 6 teams in the state.
LVC Basketball tournament was always a very competitive tournament and would pack the Broken Bow gym.
Your correct--87 school year.I think you're thinking of '86. Ansley lost in the state championship to Mead in '87.
The Central Platte was able to survive until about 2008. It had dwindled to six teams (Paxton, Maxwell, Brady, Stapleton, Arnold., and Eustis-Farnam) and when Maxwell joined the SPVA, it disbanded. E-F went to Fort Kearney, Brady and Stapleton joined the Sandhills Conference, Paxton joined the newly formed RPAC, and Arnold joined with Callaway to form South Loup.Awesome, I had no idea that league even existed. Speaking of Maxwell, I was an assistant boys basketball coach out that for two years. Felt bad for Maxwell being in the SPVA. They just didn't have the horses, they fit much better in the RPAC with more schools their size.
Well Elwood stay by themselves as long as they can? Or who would they try a co-op with if they had to? Bertrand? Arapahoe?
The CPC actually survived untill about 2008. My kids started attending school in Paxton in the mid 2000's so my recollection of it is only in it's last few years. They were down to six members (Arnold, Stapleton, Maxwell, Brady, Paxton, and Eustis-Farnam) and when Maxwell accepted an invitation to the SPVA, the conference disbanded. Today, Maxwell, Paxton, and Maywood (co-op with Hayes Center) are in the RPAC, Stapleton, Brady, and Arnold (co-op with Callaway) are in the MNAC, and Elwood and E-F are in the FKC.Great topic!
Back in the mid to late 80s, I competed in the Central Platte Conference. Pretty competitive conference with Arnold, Elwood, Eustis, Farnam, Maxwell, Stapleton, Lexington St. Ann, Brady, and Maywood. I think when St. Ann's closed, Paxton moved in. Eustis-Farnam formed a co-op, Maywood jumped to the GPAC around 1990 and the conference dissolved. Didn't Maxwell belong to the SPVA for a while and I know Elwood went to the FKC.
One of the best conferences ever for about a twenty year run. Howells, Dodge, HSF and LHF were the standard but man Clarkson had some good football teams in the mid 2000's and Leigh the same in basketball.I played in the Cornhusker conference.... 94-99. We usually had 6 or 7 of the 8 teams in the playoffs with one or two state champions or runners up (D-1 and D-2). Basketball was the same way, maybe not quite like football but still good teams.
Isn't Lex trying to get back into the Southwest Conference? Would everyone else want them back? What has happened to Minden boys sports over the last few years? Just not a lot of talent? Lack of numbers?
Agree. It’s hard to know old scores/Conference history prior to the mid 90’s unless you have yearbooks from each respective school.I'd like to see high schools do an inventory of their trophy cases. Would be a great way to gather a lot of data about conferences.
I was in the area of the old CPC and it was actually other schools that dissolved the CPC. Maxwell was one who wanted to try and keep that conference alive. Depends on what "difficult" competition you are talking about when they joined the SPVA. They did very well in some activities. The reason they left was when a couple far West teams joined the SPVA.The Central Platte was able to survive until about 2008. It had dwindled to six teams (Paxton, Maxwell, Brady, Stapleton, Arnold., and Eustis-Farnam) and when Maxwell joined the SPVA, it disbanded. E-F went to Fort Kearney, Brady and Stapleton joined the Sandhills Conference, Paxton joined the newly formed RPAC, and Arnold joined with Callaway to form South Loup.
The SPVA era ended up being a cautionary tale for Maxwell. They were a large class D school with growing enrollment in a class D league on the verge of collapse, so when the class C SPVA invited them, they joined. However, their enrollment declined, the SPVA expanded, and it became difficult for them to compete. A decision that seemed to make sense in 2007, didn't in 2015, and they moved to the RPAC.
My senior year was on of the last years of the Rangeland Conference, which was down to 5 schools at that time: Ainsworth, Valentine, Rock County, West Holt, O'Neill. The original Rangeland had an East and West and included Chadron, Gordon, and Rushville. Ainsworth and Valentine now in Southwest Conference. Rock County/Keya Paha as North Central and West Holt in Niobrara Valley. O'Neill originally spent some time in the former NENAC until they got too big and then were in the Northern Activities Conference with South Sioux City, Wayne, Cedar Catholic. Then moved to Rangeland and now rejoined some old NAC members in the Mid-States.
I was toId by a reliabIe source at the time that MaxweII joining the SPVA was the straw that broke cameI's back of the CPC. My quote "they found it difficuIt to compete" was a response to Northeast's Nebraska's comment that he was an assistant boys basketball coach there and that he "feIt bad for MaxweII being in the SPVA. They just didn't have the horses, they fit better in the RPAC with more schooIs their size." WhiIe I understand that they've had success in footbaII and wresting over the last few years, basketbaII, particuIarIy boys, has been a struggIe. "They found it difficuIt to compete in some sports" wouId have been a more accurate quote on my part.I was in the area of the old CPC and it was actually other schools that dissolved the CPC. Maxwell was one who wanted to try and keep that conference alive. Depends on what "difficult" competition you are talking about when they joined the SPVA. They did very well in some activities. The reason they left was when a couple far West teams joined the SPVA.
Lex is going to the Central Conference? That’s surprisingly a good fit.A little bit of a hijack here, but anyone here of what will happen with the GNAC after this year?
In 2018-19 Norfolk and Kearney leave for the Heartland Athletic Conference and Lexington is leaving for the Central Conference. McCook is joining the Southwest Conference, but will keep a dual membership in the GNAC.
It leaves the GNAC with five members: Columbus, Hastings, McCook, Scottsbluff and North Platte. I've heard the GNAC has reached out to schools such as Gering, Alliance, York, Aurora, Beatrice, Blair, Grand Island Northwest and Holdrege about joining. They've also reached out to the possibility of some Colorado or Wyoming schools to join.
I would think most eastern schools would be a bit hesitant to join the league because of the travel.
Glad this got bumped. Didn't realize I had someone quote one of my replies. Even though I got to experience beatings in football and basketball from Lawrence I became friends with most if not all of them. These are the all-staters I remember, Ed Karmazin-qb, Russ Faimon-rb, Ed Menke end or lb, Paul Kucera-ng(played at Kearney St.), Lee Herz-center, Jerry Hoelting-end(also played at Kearney St.). Also another Kucera and Svoboda that were good. And not sure who I may have missed. They ran an unbalanced formation on offense and when they ran a sweep it seemed like there were 15 guys on offense. And after doing that a few times they'd bust a dive up the middle.Yes Lawrence dominated that year. I believe the won State in FB and BB, Should have won state Track too, but had a kid get hurt between Districts and State.
Also-- If I remember correctly, they had 7 or 8 kids on the D1 All State 1st teams (Offense and Defense).
The GOAT conference. RIPDid not know Howells, Dodge, Clarkson, Leigh were once in the Mid-State. When did that change and the Cornhusker Conference form? That's the conference I remember in the 90's and 00's.
Dodge
Howells
Clarkson
Leigh
Humphrey
Humphrey St. Francis
Lindsay Holy Family
Newman Grove
Mid-States. The GOAT. Albion, Catholic, Pierce, Cedar Catholic, Central Catholic, Battle Creek, Madison & Stanton. Mid to late 90’s into the mid 2000’s there wasn’t a better conference.
Pretty sure they were in the Central Plains with Stapleton and Arnold before it dissolvedWhat Conference was Brady in before joining the MNAC?
Prior to the MNAC becoming the MNAC, they were in the Sandhills Conference that became the MNACPretty sure they were in the Central Plains with Stapleton and Arnold before it dissolved
The Central Platte dissolved about 10 years ago. Was a large conference in it's heyday but was down to only Brady, Maxwell, Stapleton, Arnold, Paxton, and Eustis-Farnam at the endWhat Conference was Brady in before joining the MNAC?
Is Eustis In the RPAC or Fort Kearny?The Central Platte dissolved about 10 years ago. Was a large conference in it's heyday but was down to only Brady, Maxwell, Stapleton, Arnold, Paxton, and Eustis-Farnam at the end
Is Eustis In the RPAC or Fort Kearny?
Pierce and Stanton were both in the Mid State for at least a year or two in the mid 90's.
Stanton joined the East Husker in 2003-2004 school year.I believe it was the 95-96 school year when Pierce left the NENAC for the Mid-State. If I remember correctly, they switched places with Elkhorn Valley, with the Bluejays joining the Mid-State and the Falcons joining NENAC. Stanton joined up with the East Husker a few years later.