Asotin expected to join NE 2B league next year

Asotin has petitioned to join the ranks of the NE 2B league for next year. The Panthers, who topped the SE football league with a 3-0 record this year, are expected to join the NE which presently has 11 total teams. A move by Asotin to the NE will be another setback for the SE league which had just four teams in the football campaign this year and is expected to undergo changes on the WIAA charts next spring.

The SE, which is District 9 on the WIAA grid, has formally released Asotin, and the NE, which is District 7, has accepted the Panthers. The change will be presented to the state WIAA board at its next meeting. Members of the state board normally go along with the changes, which have progressed to the present status of the Asotin petition, according to Bob Kirk of Pomeroy, secretary for District 9.

Kirk noted loss of Asotin is expected to leave the 2B ranks in the SE “pretty bare.”

The SE lost Dayton for the football season this year when Dayton opted to play down in the 1B ranks. Also, Waitsburg, which made a strong campaign in recent seasons as a combination team with Prescott, played as just Waitsburg this year and might be looking at playing in the B ranks next year. Prescott, which has a strong soccer program, has dropped football as a team sport.

DeSales, one of the stalwarts in the SE 2B division, is actually a 1B school which opts to play up in the 2B division.

The addition of Asotin could put the NE in the position of splitting the league into two divisions. The NE in 2014 played a football season which consisted of all league games. This year, NE teams played through the season with one game date open for non-league play because Tekoa-Rosalia opted to play down in the 1B division in the same mode as Dayton in the SE.

NE football this year totaled nine teams because St. George’s does not compete in football.

Kirk pointed out the WIAA enrollment counts are now underway to determine classifications for the next two years. That could lead to a shakeup in the present league assignments because the student counts for some schools could drop them into other sports divisions. Most coaches and athletic directors are waiting to see how the new WIAA count shakes out before deciding a plan for the next two years.