BY ERIC AHLQVIST
COOPERSTOWN CRIER
The Tri-Valley league will be adding
a new member next fall.
Richfield Springs will leave the
Center State Conference and
join the Tri-Valley East, giving
the league 10 teams. Richfield
will compete in the East along
with Cherry Valley-Springfield,
Worcester, Schenevus and Milford.
Laurens, Franklin, Gilbertsville-Mt.
Upton, Morris and Edmeston make
up the T-V West.
Richfield athletic director Theri
Jo Climenhaga said competing
against schools more Richfield’s
size was the driving force behind
the move.
``We play mostly Class C schools
now,’’ Climenhaga said. ``Now
we’ll play mostly against Class
D schools and the travel will be
much less.’’
Last year, the Richfield football
team combined with Mohawk to
form a team in the Center State
Conference.
But Mohawk informed Richfield
officials they no longer wanted to
continue that association next fall,
Climenhaga said.
``As a result we no longer had
the numbers to offer football next
year,’’ Climenhaga added. ``If we
could still offer football we probably
would not have switched
leagues.’’
Richfield has a long and proud
tradition of football at the school
and some residents were upset
when they first heard football
would no longer be offered, Climenhaga
said.
``I think people are starting to
realize we simply don’t have the
numbers and it’s time to make the
move,’’ Climenhaga said. ``I sense
that people are more open-minded
about it than maybe they were
originally.’’
Richfield currently has a combined
soccer program with Owen
D. Young, but Climenhaga said she
was unsure if that would continue
next year. The Indians will also
compete in boys and girls basketball,
boys and girls track and field,
and baseball and softball.
The Tri-Valley has lost several
teams over the years due to
schools merging. Cherry Valley and
Springfield used to have separate
teams, and when New Berlin and
South New Berlin merged in the
mid-1990s they moved up to Class
C and left the league.
CV-S boys basketball coach Terry
Brant said he was glad Richfield
was joining the league.
``We need teams and I think
this will be the perfect fit for both
sides,’’ he said.
