West Aurora and Yorkville to join SPC next year

The Southwest Prairie Conference announced at a meeting on July 23 that it is adding Yorkville High School and West Aurora High School to the conference next year. The schools already in the conference made an anonymous vote to accept both of the new schools for the 2019-2020 school year.

West Aurora and Yorkville will join Oswego High School, Oswego East High School, Joliet West High School, Joliet Central High School, Plainfield East High School, Plainfield North High School, Plainfield South High School, Plainfield Central High School, Minnoka High School and Romeoville High School. As a result, there will be 12 schools in the conference, enough to have two divisions.

This change will lead to different competition rather than the usual 10 schools Oswego plays once or twice a year. West Aurora and Yorkville are in the sectional bracket for most of OHS’s sports as well, so it gives the teams a closer drive for playoffs.   

“For football, it will be a major shake up,” Mr. Brian Cooney, OHS head football coach, said. “We’re looking at two separate divisions instead of playing every team once throughout the year.”

West Aurora opted to send an application when the Upstate Eight lost Batavia High School, Geneva High School, St. Charles East High School and St. Charles West High School to the new Dukane conference of Glenbard North High School, Lake Park High School, Wheaton North High School and Wheaton Warrenville South High School.  

Yorkville decided to submit an application to the SPC because six other schools wanted to leave the Northern Big 12.

“The bus ride is a lot closer,” Ms. Kim Wensits, Yorkville girls basketball coach, stated. “The games will be very competitive.”

For the remainder of the school year, the SPC schools will have to discuss and finalize how they will divide the conference into divisions, either by population or geography, and the schedules for each sport.