Lewis & Clark Conference
- Thread starter nenebskers
- Start date
my guess is that the eastern schools in the NVC don’t want to travel to Ainsworth. Just a wild guess though.
Curious as to why these schools aren’t including talks with schools like Ponca, Wakefield, tri county, etc…the bigger schools currently in the conference???
I’ve coached teams that have played neligh oakdale in recent years and neither girls or boys played 4 quarters of jv basketball…makes you wonder if there’s more to it then what they’re actually putting out for reasoning to want to leave???
I’ve coached teams that have played neligh oakdale in recent years and neither girls or boys played 4 quarters of jv basketball…makes you wonder if there’s more to it then what they’re actually putting out for reasoning to want to leave???
Seems like they want it to be a little more regional? LCC and Hartington are outliers out of the original eight, but Ponca going to Summerland or Atkinson would be a trip.
Added the info in this thread to what notes I had:
Northeast Nebraska Activities (NENAC)
Northeast Conference
Formed in 1931 with Bloomfield, Hartington, Pierce, Randolph, and Wayne.
Plainview and Wakefield join in 1932.
Creighton replaces Wakefield in 1938.
Wayne leaves in 1944
Laurel joins in 1946.
1955 Northeast Nebraska football Plainview (LJS 11-20-56)
Randolph leaves in 1956.
1956 Northeast Nebraska football Plainview (LJS 11-20-56)
Laurel becomes Laurel-Concord in 1958.
Crofton replaces Hartington in 1961.
O’Neill replaces Creighton in 1965. O’Neill not involved in all activities.
Neligh joins in 1970.
Creighton and Randolph return in 1971.
Laurel-Concord leaves in 1977.
O’Neill leaves in 1981.
Laurel-Concord returns in 1987.
Neligh becomes Neligh-Oakdale in 1991.
At some point:
Bloomfield
Creighton
Crofton
Laurel-Concord
Neligh-Oakdale
Pierce
Plainview
Randolph
1995-96
Because of shrinking enrollments of most members, charter member Pierce (who was stable and/or growing) leaves for the Mid-State Conference and trades places with Elkhorn Valley, who leaves the Mid-State to take Pierce's place in the NENAC
Elkhorn Valley joins in 1995.
2004-05
Bloomfield leaves for the Lewis & Clark Conference
Bloomfield leaves in 2004.
2005-06
Atkinson West Holt is accepted as a member
West Holt joins in 2005.
Laurel-Concord becomes Laurel-Concord-Coleridge in 2010.
2012-13
Crofton leaves the league to join the Mid-State Conference
Crofton leaves in 2012.
2012-13 would prove to the final year of the league as the remaining members voted to disband with Creighton, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Plainview and Randolph joining the Lewis & Clark, while West Holt, Elkhorn Valley and Neligh-Oakdale joined the NVC
(my champions list is thin!)
1931 Northeast track Tekamah (LJS 4-26-31)
1935 Northeast football Randolph (LJS 12-8-35)
1937 Northeast football Bloomfield (LJS 11-23-37)
1950 Northeast football Randolph (OWH 11-20-50)
1958 Northeast football Plainview (Cedar Co News 1-6-58)
1959 Northeast basketball Wayne (OWH 3-12-59)
1964 Northeast football Laurel (LJS 11-21-64)
Northeast Nebraska Activities (NENAC)
Northeast Conference
Formed in 1931 with Bloomfield, Hartington, Pierce, Randolph, and Wayne.
Plainview and Wakefield join in 1932.
Creighton replaces Wakefield in 1938.
Wayne leaves in 1944
Laurel joins in 1946.
1955 Northeast Nebraska football Plainview (LJS 11-20-56)
Randolph leaves in 1956.
1956 Northeast Nebraska football Plainview (LJS 11-20-56)
Laurel becomes Laurel-Concord in 1958.
Crofton replaces Hartington in 1961.
O’Neill replaces Creighton in 1965. O’Neill not involved in all activities.
Neligh joins in 1970.
Creighton and Randolph return in 1971.
Laurel-Concord leaves in 1977.
O’Neill leaves in 1981.
Laurel-Concord returns in 1987.
Neligh becomes Neligh-Oakdale in 1991.
At some point:
Bloomfield
Creighton
Crofton
Laurel-Concord
Neligh-Oakdale
Pierce
Plainview
Randolph
1995-96
Because of shrinking enrollments of most members, charter member Pierce (who was stable and/or growing) leaves for the Mid-State Conference and trades places with Elkhorn Valley, who leaves the Mid-State to take Pierce's place in the NENAC
Elkhorn Valley joins in 1995.
2004-05
Bloomfield leaves for the Lewis & Clark Conference
Bloomfield leaves in 2004.
2005-06
Atkinson West Holt is accepted as a member
West Holt joins in 2005.
Laurel-Concord becomes Laurel-Concord-Coleridge in 2010.
2012-13
Crofton leaves the league to join the Mid-State Conference
Crofton leaves in 2012.
2012-13 would prove to the final year of the league as the remaining members voted to disband with Creighton, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Plainview and Randolph joining the Lewis & Clark, while West Holt, Elkhorn Valley and Neligh-Oakdale joined the NVC
(my champions list is thin!)
1931 Northeast track Tekamah (LJS 4-26-31)
1935 Northeast football Randolph (LJS 12-8-35)
1937 Northeast football Bloomfield (LJS 11-23-37)
1950 Northeast football Randolph (OWH 11-20-50)
1958 Northeast football Plainview (Cedar Co News 1-6-58)
1959 Northeast basketball Wayne (OWH 3-12-59)
1964 Northeast football Laurel (LJS 11-21-64)
Humphrey needs to gather the troops and get into discussions about bringing back the Cornhusker Conference now that Newman Grove is back…. Add Twin River, Madison and Stanton.
Potential Conference Realignment talks between northeast Nebraska High Schools
Talks of conference realignment are stirring up in Nebraska and many schools are supposedly behind it.
northeast.newschannelnebraska.com
Looks like the new conference has a very good possibility of starting in fall of 2025. Multiple schools boards have already voted to leave their current conference. Below is an article regarding Hartington-Newcastle.
www.hartington.net
HNS Board votes to leave Conference
HARTINGTON — The 2024-25 academic year will be Hartington-Newcastle's final year in the Lewis and Clark Conference. false
From the Laurel perspective:Looks like the new conference has a very good possibility of starting in fall of 2025. Multiple schools boards have already voted to leave their current conference. Below is an article regarding Hartington-Newcastle.
HNS Board votes to leave Conference
HARTINGTON — The 2024-25 academic year will be Hartington-Newcastle's final year in the Lewis and Clark Conference. false
LCC School Board Approves Switching to New Conference
LAUREL - Laurel-Concord-Coleridge will belong to a new activity and athletic conference starting in 2025.
The school board met last week and approved dropping its affiliation with the Lewis & Clark Conference and joining a new eight-school conference which may include Elkhorn Valley, Hartington-Newcastle, Lutheran High Northeast, Neligh-Oakdale, Plainview, Summerland and West Holt.
After months of discussion, all of the affected schools are set to vote at their regular meetings this month. Once member schools formally approve the formation of a new conference, more formal discussions will take place including naming it, said Superintendent Jeremy Christiansen.
Dissatisfaction with the very large Lewis & Clark Conference has been growing in recent years including an increasing concern about a trend in school-size disparity within the conference that impacts student opportunities, Christiansen said.
The size disparity leads to a decrease in opportunities for students playing in reserve and JV contests as schools LCC matches with in the conference oftentimes don't have enough players for these lower-level games.
Other issues include logistics and scheduling issues.
Christiansen said the school would be open to maintaining some of the existing matches and rivalries with other regional schools -- as long as it maintains opportunities for students.
New conference will showcase area teams
In the day and age where bigger conferences are better, at least for college sports, eight Northeast Nebraska high schools have decided to forego their bigger conferences and start a
norfolkdailynews.com
New conference will showcase area teams
by Mike Renning, Norfolk Daily News
In the day and age where bigger conferences are better, at least for college sports, eight Northeast Nebraska high schools have decided to forego their bigger conferences and start a brand-new venture for the 2025-26 school year.
Three schools presently in the Lewis & Clark Conference (Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Hartington-Newcastle and Plainview), four schools from the Niobrara Valley Conference (Neligh-Oakdale, West Holt, Summerland and Elkhorn Valley) and previously independent Lutheran High Northeast will join up in a couple of years to join a conference that is not named at the moment for high school activities.
"There's a lot to take care of at the moment without worrying about a name," Hartington-Newcastle principal Corey Uldrich said. "Each school had to approve the move which is kind of where we are at."
Ironically, none of the conference-affiliated schools were looking to move, Lutheran High has been looking for a conference for the past few years, but what was a pipedream is becoming a reality.
"We were just looking for more opportunities for our students and thought we would just feel out the landscape," Uldrich said. "We looked at some schools in the area that were around the same enrollment and would keep an enrollment to match everyone we had asked to attend the first meeting."
Uldrich did his homework, put together some figures and made a case for the new venture.
"It's all about additional opportunities for our activities," Uldrich said. "It's not just about sports -- that's part of it -- but it's about music, drama, speech, football, basketball, track, wrestling and maybe some new adventures."
Lutheran High has been looking for a conference affiliation for the past couple of years and welcomed the opportunity to join.
"Getting into this conference allows us some scheduling stability, and not just for athletics," LHNE activities director Preston Sunderman said. "It will expand opportunities for our students, athletically and in other aspects pertaining to other activities."
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge is looking forward to the new conference for basically the same reasons.
"We weren't looking to go anywhere, but you always need to listen to new ideas and something different," LCC activities director Quin Conner said. "Our administration saw this as a better fit for us. We weren't looking to get out of the Lewis & Clark, but this will be better for all of our students."
Conner noted the size of the schools in the new conference.
"The schools in the new conference are more in line with our school," he said. "We will hopefully have more opportunities for everyone in both sports and activities."
Thew Lewis & Clark Conference involves 17 schools from Class D2 up to C1 and geographically goes from Winnebago to Creighton.
The Niobrara Valley Conference is currently comprised of a dozen teams and geographically runs from Elkhorn Valley to Keya Paha in Springview.
The change would diminish the Lewis & Clark to 14 teams and the NVC to eight.
"The geography was part of it," Uldrich said. "But in the end, it was more about opportunities for our students."
All eight school boards involved have approved the conference change with the task of conference bylaws and everything that goes with that to be determined.......including a name.
Will be very interesting to see what school like Ponca and Wakefield do. With their enrollments being C2, could they attempt to join the Mid-State? Can't see them in the East Husker, unless Twin River and Humphrey go to the Goldenrod Conference, which to me is a better fit for them versus the EHC.
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Really? That’s interesting, any link? That would make some sense as well. Never felt like they fit the EHC.
If I was Wakefield I'd be pushing to get out and join the East Husker. Their days as a C2 are limited. They will consistently be a small C1 for all activities going forward. Although they are a C1 they are at a competitive disadvantage with their demographics.
Ponca should make a push to the Mid-States as they have an odd number of teams at 9. The majority of their non conference schedule in all sports is Mid-States schools and they compete against them in district football play.
Winnebago is in a weird spot.
Ponca should make a push to the Mid-States as they have an odd number of teams at 9. The majority of their non conference schedule in all sports is Mid-States schools and they compete against them in district football play.
Winnebago is in a weird spot.
I don't have a link but this was voted on at the last Osceola school board meeting to approve so I can confirm.
I'll throw it out there that I think Wakefield ends up in the East Husker Conference. Call it a hunch, or call it some inside information................I think they go.
So say some of these changes happen that have been discussed. Here are the conferences as they stand today.
Independent
Lutheran High Northeast
Lewis & Clark Conference (16)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Hartington-Newcastle
Homer
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge
Osmond
Plainview
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Niobrara Valley Conference (12)
Atkinson West Holt
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Elkhorn Valley
Neligh-Oakdale
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Summerland
Independent
Lutheran High Northeast
Lewis & Clark Conference (16)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Hartington-Newcastle
Homer
Laurel-Concord-Coleridge
Osmond
Plainview
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Niobrara Valley Conference (12)
Atkinson West Holt
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Elkhorn Valley
Neligh-Oakdale
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Summerland
These are how these conferences could look in 25-26.
Niobrara Valley Conference (8)
(West Holt, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale and Summerland move out)
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Lewis & Clark Conference (13)
(Hartington-Newcastle, LCC, Plainview move out)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Homer
Osmond
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Lutheran High Northeast leaves the ranks of independent to the new conference that consists of...
New Conference
Elkhorn Valley
Hartington-Newcastle
LCC
Lutheran High Northeast
Neligh-Oakdale
Plainview
Summerland
West Holt
Niobrara Valley Conference (8)
(West Holt, Elkhorn Valley, Neligh-Oakdale and Summerland move out)
Boyd County
Chambers/Wheeler Central
Elgin/Elgin Pope John
Niobrara/Verdigre
North Central
O'Neill St. Mary's
Santee
Stuart
Lewis & Clark Conference (13)
(Hartington-Newcastle, LCC, Plainview move out)
Bloomfield
Creighton
Homer
Osmond
Ponca
Randolph
Tri County Northeast
Wakefield
Walthill
Wausa
Winnebago
Winside
Wynot
Lutheran High Northeast leaves the ranks of independent to the new conference that consists of...
New Conference
Elkhorn Valley
Hartington-Newcastle
LCC
Lutheran High Northeast
Neligh-Oakdale
Plainview
Summerland
West Holt
Say other changes happen...
Crossroads Conference (11)
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley
Cross County
Dorchester
East Butler
Hampton
High Plains
McCool Junction
Meridian
Nebraska Lutheran
Osceola
Shelby/Rising City
Potential Add:
Twin River from the East Husker
East Husker Conference (14)
Bancroft-Rosalie
Clarkson/Leigh
Howells-Dodge
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Madison
North Bend
Oakland-Craig
Pender
Stanton
Tekamah-Herman
Twin River
Wakefield
West Point-Beemer
Wisner-Pilger
Potential Add:
Wakefield from the Lewis and Clark
Mid-State Conference (10)
Battle Creek
Boone Central/Newman Grove
Crofton
Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Norfolk Catholic
O'Neill
Pierce
Wayne
Logical Add, but no official word:
Ponca from the Lewis and Clark
Crossroads Conference (11)
Bruning-Davenport/Shickley
Cross County
Dorchester
East Butler
Hampton
High Plains
McCool Junction
Meridian
Nebraska Lutheran
Osceola
Shelby/Rising City
Potential Add:
Twin River from the East Husker
East Husker Conference (14)
Bancroft-Rosalie
Clarkson/Leigh
Howells-Dodge
Humphrey/Lindsay Holy Family
Lyons-Decatur Northeast
Madison
North Bend
Oakland-Craig
Pender
Stanton
Tekamah-Herman
Wakefield
West Point-Beemer
Wisner-Pilger
Potential Add:
Wakefield from the Lewis and Clark
Mid-State Conference (10)
Battle Creek
Boone Central/Newman Grove
Crofton
Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Norfolk Catholic
O'Neill
Pierce
Wayne
Logical Add, but no official word:
Ponca from the Lewis and Clark
Wakefield's BoE voted to accept their invitation into the East Husker Conference beginning this fall.
The Lewis and Clark will also lose Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Hartington/Newcastle, and Plainview the following school year. The conference is getting shook up pretty good, though not a bad thing IMO.
Will be interesting to see what happens with Ponca and if Winnebago and/or Walthill do anything. Would think that Bago and Walthill would maybe go independent or maybe there is an all Native Schools Conference they could join/form similar to what they do with football? Omaha Nation is an independent and Santee is part of the Niobrara Valley currently.
The Lewis and Clark will also lose Laurel-Concord-Coleridge, Hartington/Newcastle, and Plainview the following school year. The conference is getting shook up pretty good, though not a bad thing IMO.
Will be interesting to see what happens with Ponca and if Winnebago and/or Walthill do anything. Would think that Bago and Walthill would maybe go independent or maybe there is an all Native Schools Conference they could join/form similar to what they do with football? Omaha Nation is an independent and Santee is part of the Niobrara Valley currently.
Can't see LVSS going back to the EHC after just leaving two years ago unless they are really unhappy in the Capitol.
Ponca seems like a natural fit for the Mid State. EHC would be better for them than a downtrodden Lewis & Clark.
I’ve heard that Ponca has an invite to Mid-State as well.
I think they would be a great add as the 10th team in the league.
Mid-State Conference (10)
Battle Creek
Boone Central/Newman Grove
Crofton
Guardian Angels Central Catholic
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Norfolk Catholic
O'Neill
Ponca
Pierce
Wayne
From Ponca: 104 miles to O'Neill & 120 to Albion...oof
For reference:
MNAC: Brady to Cody-Kilgore = 171 miles
RPAC: Paxton to Alma = 154 miles
SPVA: Bridgeport to North Platte: 142 miles
SWC (for now): Ainsworth to Ogallala = 187 miles
Long trip for sure but it would likely be only done once per year. For example, one year play Boone at home and O'Neil on the road then flip them the following year. Also, guessing these would be Saturday games which often have a late afternoon start time. Volleyball would be a little tougher since Saturday play is usually just for tournaments.
Understood, slightly different part of the state. I grew up playing football games in the mid afternoon so you didn't get back home at 1am!
VB could do triangulars. Norfolk Cath, Boone, & Ponca; O'Neill, Cedar, & Ponca. Then you only have to do it once every 3 years
Have not heard that. Would think they'd be a better fit in EHC than Mid-State
And, I know some conferences don't have a REQUIREMENT that you play every other team in the regular season. I remember reading that about the old Twin Valley when there was some uproar about Deshler joining a conference with Doniphan, Shelton, Kenesaw, Franklin, etc iirc. The SPVA doesn't either. Now in most cases teams do schedule everybody, but it may required less than you think. Hard to see doing that in some of the 12-14 school conferences and still have room for traditional nearby foes, holiday tournaments, etc.
Correct. Centennial conference doesn’t play everyone in hoops or volleyball. Same with the East Husker.
The Lewis and Clark Conference member schools had a meeting last Wednesday. Quite a bit of moving parts and activity going on.
1) LCC, Hartington-Newcastle, and Plainview are leaving in 2025-2026. These three schools are set to form a new conference beginning in 2025-2026 along with LHNE, Summerland, Neligh-Oakdale, Elkhorn Valley, and West Holt.
2) Wakefield is leaving in 2024-2025 for the East Husker.
3) Ponca is deciding at their board meeting tonight between East Husker and Mid-States affiliation. They plan to be a part of their new conference in 2024-2025.
4) The remaining Knox County schools; Creighton, Bloomfield, and Wausa are considering a move to the Niobrara Valley Conference. Sounds like this is in the very beginning stages.
5) LCC, Hartington-Newcastle, and Plainview all said they would go independent this next school year if asked by the conference. The reason for going independent is to allow the conference to reset once, not two years in a row.
6) The remaining L&C schools, including the Knox County schools, are having a meeting next Monday to discuss future of conference.
I think the remaining schools should stick together. It forms a nice manageable group of 10 teams; Tri-County Northeast (Allen and Emerson Hubbard), Homer, Walthill, Winnebago, Bloomfield, the new Osmond and Wausa coop (Osmond and Wausa, not sure of name), Randolph, Winside, and Wynot. The outlier here is Winnebago because of their size. Walthill is an outlier to some degree too. If Bago left, the L&C could approach Niobrara-Verdigre or Omaha Nation. Another potential fit, though getting a little far away could be Lyons-Decatur.
1) LCC, Hartington-Newcastle, and Plainview are leaving in 2025-2026. These three schools are set to form a new conference beginning in 2025-2026 along with LHNE, Summerland, Neligh-Oakdale, Elkhorn Valley, and West Holt.
2) Wakefield is leaving in 2024-2025 for the East Husker.
3) Ponca is deciding at their board meeting tonight between East Husker and Mid-States affiliation. They plan to be a part of their new conference in 2024-2025.
4) The remaining Knox County schools; Creighton, Bloomfield, and Wausa are considering a move to the Niobrara Valley Conference. Sounds like this is in the very beginning stages.
5) LCC, Hartington-Newcastle, and Plainview all said they would go independent this next school year if asked by the conference. The reason for going independent is to allow the conference to reset once, not two years in a row.
6) The remaining L&C schools, including the Knox County schools, are having a meeting next Monday to discuss future of conference.
I think the remaining schools should stick together. It forms a nice manageable group of 10 teams; Tri-County Northeast (Allen and Emerson Hubbard), Homer, Walthill, Winnebago, Bloomfield, the new Osmond and Wausa coop (Osmond and Wausa, not sure of name), Randolph, Winside, and Wynot. The outlier here is Winnebago because of their size. Walthill is an outlier to some degree too. If Bago left, the L&C could approach Niobrara-Verdigre or Omaha Nation. Another potential fit, though getting a little far away could be Lyons-Decatur.
I wonder if Creighton is regretting their decision to not join the new conference. They were one of the originals but didn't proceed which then brought West Holt into the group. IMO, the new conference should have approached Stanton instead of West Holt when Creighton didn't proceed.
I don't fully understand the appeal of this new conference. Is a school like Hartington-Newcastle in any better position than they were in the L&C?
I don't fully understand the appeal of this new conference. Is a school like Hartington-Newcastle in any better position than they were in the L&C?
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I don’t see Ponca being a good fit in the mid states. I think lhne would have been a better one location wise
I agree that LHNE should have been in the Mid-States or any conference for that matter years ago. Geographically I think there isn't much difference between the Mid-States and East Husker for Ponca.
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