When it comes to decision on joining "super conference" no one has it tougher than Bangor

http://blogs.mcall.com/groller/

FROM KEITH GROLLER

By now, most everyone knows that invitations have been extended by the Mountain Valley Conference to 12 schools to join what would be the six remaining MVC schools in 2014-15 to form an 18-school class 4A "super conference."

By now,everyone knows that the ten LVC schools offered invitations were not only all class 4A schools, but also public schools.

And by now everyone should also have figured out that the reason Bethlehem Catholic and Central Catholic were not extended invitations was much more about the fact that they are private schools and has very little to do with the fact that they are 3A  and not 4A. That becomes even more clearer when you hear that the MVC has no inclination to invite Becahi and CCHS even if they agree to go 4A.

You'd also have to have just arrived in the Lehigh Valley from another planet not to know there has been considerable discord, seemingly forever, over the ability of private schools to attract student-athletes and accusations about how some of those athletes arrived at those schools.

However. in just the last couple of days we've learned that not everyone agrees that the 10 LVC schools should flee to the Mountain Valley Conference, much like five schools did back in 1997 when the purpose was pretty much the same. Only that time Allen, Dieruff and Emmaus were also left behind after Parkland, Whitehall, Freedom, Liberty and Easton bolted.

Ultimately, though, the 10 LVC schools will probably make sure they're in unison if a move is to be made. It's hard to imagine some schools going to the MVC and other staying behind, no matter how much they support Becahi and CCHS and feel they've been mistreated here.

Likewise, Phillipsburg's decision will be made in accordance with their status in New Jersey. Jersey has a variety of rules and one of them is that any school must play X-amount of games against schools in the Garden State to be considered for a state championship. If the Stateliners can't navigate that, and some other scheduling issues caused by their location on the east side of the Delaware River, my guess is that they won't come even though they'd probably like to.

The one school, it seems to me, with the biggest dilemma, is Bangor, a member of the Colonial League.

In terms of geography, the Slaters are positioned as a good fit for the Mountain tier of the potential ''super conference." It's much easier for the Slaters to get to games in Pleasant Valley, Stroudsburg, and the two Pocono Mountain schools, for example, than it is to get to places like Salisbury, Southern Lehigh and even Northern Lehigh.

The Slaters are on the 4A/3A border in classification in most sports, much like East Stroudsburg North. But they'd be going from being the biggest school district in the Colonial League to one of the smallest in the super conference. They'd also be going from a league where they can be very competitive and challenge for league championships in a lot of sports to a league where it would  be much, much more difficult to ever win titles

So it's a tough call.

Bangor superintendent Frank DeFelice, a former Northampton boys basketball coach, admitted as much when I talked to him on Monday.

"We're going to take a serious look at this, and there's a lot to weigh," DeFelice said. "Obviously, there are advantages to going and disadvantages as well. Whatever we decide, it's going to be in the best interests of our athletes. We feel we have a quality athletic program here at Bangor. We've shown we're competitive and play good league and nonleague schedules. We already play a number of Mountain Valley schools, so we feel we'd fit into any situation that we come upon here.  

"We're going to do some research, but most importantly, we're going to talk to our coaches and see how they feel about it. There's going to be a lot of opinions, but we're going to try to listen to everybody. The school board will eventually make the decision, but right now, I am just glad that we were invited."

The only thing that will remain, no matter what, is the football game between Bangor and Pen Argyl.

"Our football game, our rivalry with Pen Argyl, is important to the Slate Belt. It always has been. It's something that we won't give up, no matter what we decide. We'll always have a relationship with Pen Argyl."