Wesco will have a different look next school year.
Wesco president Greg Erickson said that there will be North and South divisions for both Wesco 3A and 4A next season. Currently Wesco 4A is the only Wesco league broken up into separate divisions.
Due to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association reclassification of schools, three Wesco schools — Stanwood, Lynnwood and Marysville Pilchuck — are moving to different classifications and one Northwest Conference school — Mount Vernon — is moving back to Wesco. In the past 15 years, Mount Vernon has shuttled between Wesco and the NWC, with its last season in the league coming in 2005-06.
Stanwood and MP are moving down to Wesco 3A while Lynnwood is moving up to 4A, meaning Wesco 3A, which is currently a non-separated, nine-team league, will be a 10-team league made up of a North and South divisions.
Here’s at how Wesco 3A and 4A will look next school year:
Wesco 3A North: Everett, Marysville Pilchuck, Marysville Getchell, Oak Harbor, Stanwood
Wesco 3A South: Glacier Peak, Meadowdale, Shorecrest, Shorewood, Mountlake Terrace
Wesco 4A North: Arlington, Lake Stevens, Monroe, Mount Vernon, Snohomish
Wesco 4A South: Cascade, Edmonds-Woodway, Jackson, Kamiak, Lynnwood, Mariner
Erickson, who is also athletic director at Marysville Pilchuck, said it was important to keep natural rivalries alive in the different divisions. For example, he said efforts will be made so that schools like Stanwood and Marysville Pilchuck will play North rivals like Arlington and Lake Stevens, and Lynnwood can play against intra-city rival Meadowdale.
One rivalry that is sure to pick up is the two Marysville schools. Marysville Getchell, which is currently in its first season of varsity participation for all sports in Wesco 3A, will be in the same 3A North division as MP, which is moving down a class because of the loss of enrollment to MG’s opening.
“It’s a good thing,” Erickson said of the rivalry between MP and MG. “Sure their can be some silly behavior due to (the rivalry), but overall it’s a good thing for the students and athletes.”
The Washington Interscholastic Activities Association reclassifies schools every two years based on enrollment in the fall. The schools are then classified according to percentages, with the largest 17 percent of state high schools placed in 4A, the next 17 percent in 3A, then 17 percent in 2A, 17 percent in 1A, 16 percent in 2B and 16 percent in 1B.
The reclassification isn’t official until the WIAA executive board approves the new classification numbers later this month.
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