Citizen Staff/James Wold
Under an updated proposal, Beaver Dam and Watertown would not play each other in football next year.
With new 2010 enrollment figures factored in, the WIAA released an updated football district proposal that has radical changes for several area teams.
Beaver Dam’s new proposed district will have four new schools. Gone are both West Bend schools as well as Sussex Hamilton and Watertown. Joining BD, Brookfield East, Slinger and Cedarburg are Brookfield Central (which moved down from Division 1), Grafton, Milwaukee Pius IX and Waukesha North.
Based on the new proposal, BD would have 734 total miles round-trip to drive every two years within its district. Its shortest drive would be 33 miles to Slinger according to Google maps but the longest — Brookfield East or Pius IX — would be comparable to that of Wisconsin Lutheran.
Perhaps most affected by the re-drafted proposal are Horicon and Dodgeland. Instead of playing teams near the Sheboygan area, the schools have been shipped to the southeast part of the state.
Under the proposal, Horicon and Dodgeland would play Brookfield Academy, Cambridge, Kenosha St. Joseph, Shoreland Lutheran and Waterloo.
While the travel would be increased (from 678 to 733 miles), Marshmen head coach Jim Trost likes the new district his team would play in.
“This seems to be a more competitive district with more playoff teams,” Trost said. “Martin Luther’s a solid program and we’ve played Kenosha St. Joseph in a playoff game before.
“We’re going to do a lot more traveling, that’s for sure.”
Markesan’s the lone area school to make a division shift, going from Division 5 to Division 6 as its enrollment dropped from 247 to 228.
The Hornets would be in the same district as Wayland Academy and play Heritage Christian, Johnson Creek, Lake Country Lutheran, Oakfield, Racine Lutheran and Williams Bay.
Waupun’s Division 3 district would be slightly altered. Gone are Kiel and Sheboygan Falls while Fox Valley Lutheran and Kewaskum enter a district with Berlin, Campbellsport, Ripon, Winneconne and Appleton Xavier.
In Division 4, Columbus would lose Brodhead/Juda and Poynette while gaining Lakeside Lutheran and Palmyra-Eagle. Clinton, Lake Mills, Marshall, Orfordville Parkview and Beloit Turner round out the district.
Mayville’s district is very similar to the one first proposed. The Cardinals would play Chilton, Lomira, New Holstein, North Fond du Lac, Winnebago Lutheran Academy and Sheboygan Area Lutheran/Sheboygan County Christian/Kohler. Kiel moves in to replace Valders.
Area teams in Division 7 are affected but for the most part unchanged. Under the original proposal, there would be a 12-team district that included Cambria-Friesland, Fall River, Hustisford and Randolph.
With the new proposal, all four area teams are now part of a seven-team district with Burlington Catholic Central, Living Word Lutheran and Rio.
More information on the updated proposal can be found at www.wiaawi.org.
Area districts with new enrollment figures
Division 2
District E
Beaver Dam (1021), Brookfield Central (1313), Brookfield East (1323), Cedarburg (1110), Grafton (867), Pius IX (993), Slinger (894), Waukesha North 1281
Division 3
District E
Berlin (605), Campbellsport (497), Fox Valley Lutheran 609, Kewaskum 723, Ripon (561), Waupun (687), Winneconne (522), Xavier (523)
Division 4
District F
Chilton (420), Kiel (473), Lomira (353), Mayville (431), New Holstein (423), North Fond du Lac (397), Sheboygan Area Lutheran/Sheboygan County Christian/Kohler (470), Winnebago Lutheran Academy (349)
District G
Clinton (398), Columbus (395), Lake Mills (430), Lakeside Lutheran (417), Marshall (368), Palmyra-Eagle (351), Parkview (352), Beloit Turner (415)
Division 5
District H
Brookfield Academy (252), Cambridge (276), Dodgeland (253), Horicon (329), Kenosha St. Joseph (293), Greendale Martin Luther (328), Shoreland Lutheran (320), Waterloo (274)
Division 6
District H
Heritage Christian (228), Johnson Creek (197), Lake Country Lutheran (192), Markesan (228), Oakfield (186), Racine Lutheran (204), Wayland Academy (220), Williams Bay (177)
Division 7
Cambria-Friesland (127), Burlington Catholic Central (149), Fall River (141), Hustisford (134), Living Word Lutheran (145), Randolph (175), Rio (123).