Conference realignment continues

HARTINGTON - After eight schools got together recently to form a new conference, other schools are moving from existing conferences to enhance experiences for the student athletes and extra-curricular students and for a better fit elsewhere.

The Ponca school board recently accepted an invitation to compete in the Mid-State Conference beginning in the 2024-25 school year.

Ponca will be a great fit in all areas of fine arts, academics and athletics,” Cedar Catholic Athletic Director and Head Football Coach, Chad Cattau said. “They also provide a 10th team in the conference which will help balance conference tournaments and other activities.”

Hartington-Newcastle, Laurel-Concord-Coleridge and Plainview recently voted to leave the Lewis & Clark Conference in the 2025-26 school year to join four Niobrara Valley Conference schools, Neligh-Oakdale, West Holt, Elkhorn Valley, and Summerland along with former independent, Lutheran High Northeast to form a yet unnamed conference.

The exodus from the Lewis & Clark Schools prompted other conference members to look around for opportunities that better fit each school.

Two of the bigger schools in the Lewis & Clark, Ponca and Wakefield, decided to seriously consider what was best for their respective schools.

Ponca was accepted to the Mid-State Conference by a vote of conference members and Wakefield voted to accept an invitation to join the Easy Husker Conference.

“We have mixed feelings here at Ponca,” longtime athletic director and coach Bob Hayes said. “I’ve played and coached in the Lewis & Clark for longer than I care to admit, but there are a lot of relationships and memories from that conference.”

In the same sentence, Hayes realizes the opportunity.

“We’re very excited to get into the Mid-State,” he said. “The schools are more our size and the talent in all aspects of extra-curricular activities is really good, the fine arts, speech, drama and music is really, really good. The athletics, we all know about.”

“We’re excited for our students for sure,” Farup said. “The East Husker will give us opportunities and for us, it’s kind of going back home.”

Wakefield was one of the founding members of the East Husker Conference back in the 1940’s according to Farup and left there to join the Lewis & Clark in the ‘70’s.

“There are no ill feelings towards the Lewis & Clark or any of its members,” Hayes said. “We’ll miss a lot of people we have developed relationships with over the years, this was just too good of an opportunity to pass up for our kids and the school.”

Existing members of the Mid-State are excited to have Ponca join as well.

“They will fit into our conference,” Norfolk Catholic athletic director and head football coach, Jeff Bellar said. “We’ve been a nine-member conference for a while and 10 is just a better number. I really think this will be better for us all.”

Cattau agreed. “Their school size fits well with all of our schools both right now and in the long term,” said Cattau. “They already play a lot of our schools in various sports, so that will be a pretty easy transition. Their facilities are also very good so it gives the conference another school to host events at a top-notch facility.”