We had a lot of this stuff months ago.
We knew the divisions for football would be all of the Mountain Valley Conference schools (East Stroudsburg North and South, Pocono Mountain East and West, Pleasant Valley and Stroudsburg plus Allen, Dieruff and Bethlehem Catholic) in one division; and all of the rest (Central Catholic, Easton, Emmaus, Freedom, Liberty, Nazareth, Northampton, Parkland and Whitehall) in the other.
And we knew that the three six-team divisions would feature the old MVC as one, the city schools Allen, Dieruff, Becahi, Freedom, Liberty and Easton in another and the suburban schools Emmaus, Parkland, Whitehall, Northampton, Nazareth and Central Catholic in the other one.
Yes, I know Central Catholic is not a suburban school, but many of its kids are from the suburbs and thus the Vikings have great rivalries with schools like Emmaus, Parkland, Whitehall and Northampton. This fits.
We knew about the 16-game regular seasons and the expanded eight-team tournaments in most sports and we knew about the all-enclosed 10-game regular season football schedules.
We even knew about the Eastern Pennsylvania Conference name, although at one point we thought they were going to add Interscholastic to the title and call themselves the EPIC 18.
Really, there wasn't much new unveiled Wednesday morning and afternoon at the Woodstone Country Club where our newest high school sports league was officially introduced.
It was a proccess that lasted for about 14 months and began with the issuing of invitations by the Mountain Valley Conference for everyone in the LVC, but Becahi and CCHS to join the MVC.
Otherwise the MVC would be looking at a six-team league in 2014-15 season.
What we learned, if anything, today is that there will be two champions crowned in football and division champs will be recognized as well.
We also learned that the league will try to stay up-to-date with all sorts of social media options including Facebook and Twitter and a new website.
Most importantly we learned that at least on Day One everyone is on the same page and optimistic about the league's future. Not everybody got what they wanted, but at least at the start, they will put the league ahead of their own interests. We'll see if that lasts.
My take on the winners and losers as we look ahead to the new EPC in 2014-15:
WINNERS
The Mountain Valley Conference because they needed a bigger league. They could have survived as a six-team league, but it would have been awfully boring. And in the long run, having to compete against Lehigh Valley Conference schools will force the MVC to raise the bar and improve their progams.
Bethlehem Catholic, although the Golden Hawks don't seem to feel like winners. At least initially they are going to dominate their division in football and almost assuredly qualify for the district tournament every year.
The Lehigh Valley Conference members because it will no longer have to worry about losing top seeds to the MVC champs when it comes to the district tournaments because the MVC no longer exists.
All of the extracurricular programs that were started in the LVC that will continue, including the very popular student athletic council.
LOSERS
Emmaus has a strong program, no question. But it's also no question that the Green Hornets benefitted by being in the same division as Allen, Central Catholic and Dieruff in several sports. Baseball and softball come to mind. It's going to be much tougher competing regularly against the Parklands, Whitehalls and Nazareths.
Football fans who like to see their teams play some top-notch competition from other districts and other parts of the state. There's no opportunity for that with the closed schedule.
Bethlehem Catholic will indeed lose some nice gates in football because they're going to attractive dates against Easton, Parkland, Whitehall etc. Their crossover games for the first two years will be against Liberty and Central Catholic, but the rest of their games will not likely be large draws.
Those who like to have a league where everyone plays each other at least once in the regular season. With the 16-game schedules that include 10 games against teams in your division, there are going to be six teams in the league that you're not going to face each year, except possibly in the postseason.
No one will admit publicly to this, but there are still a few people in powerful positions at some of the LVC schools who truly didn't want Bethlehem Catholic in the league. And that's why they supported this initiative in the first place. Some feel the same way about CCHS, but not nearly as many and not as intensely. Remember those non-invites extended by the MVC about 14 months ago? Where did you think that idea came from? Hint: Not from the MVC.
BOTTOM LINE
Knowing how so many --- right or wrong -- feel about them, Becahi should consider itself the biggest winner of all. The Golden Hawks may not like playing teams from the Poconos, but would they rather be traveling back and forth to the Philly Catholic League? I don't think so. While I think Becahi doesn't completely deserve its reputation, the school's leadership must go about earning everyone's trust and easing tensions that have boiled over often in the past year. If they don't, this latest shuffling won't be the last.
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