Back to the future: OSAA OKs Bend high schools’ return to 5A Intermountain Conference
(Update: Adding video, comments from Mountain View, C.O. official)
BEND, Ore. (KTVZ) -- The Oregon School Activities Association Executive Board approved a move Monday to change the classification and districts of certain high schools in Oregon, similar to how it was before 2018.
Starting next fall, Bend area-schools will be competing mostly against other Central Oregon schools.
Lance Haas, Mountain View High School's athletic director, said he is excited the executive board voted for this change.
“I’m looking forward to the chance for our families to watch their kids on Friday nights, not have to travel to Salem,” he said.
Haas said competing against larger schools in the Salem area put Bend schools at a disadvantage.
“If you start looking at what schools look like, Mountain View and the Bend schools, they're 5-A schools,” Haas said.
The addition of Caldera High only made those class numbers smaller.
“Our schools did take a substantial hit, which was expected,” Haas said.
Bend, Summit, Mountain View and Caldera will leave 6A and join Redmond and Ridgeview in the 5A Intermountain Conference.
Crook County will move down to a 4A conference, to join schools similar to its size.
In addition to size, long nights of travel over the passes was another factor for the change.
Steve Hodges, president of the Central Oregon Basketball Officials Association, knows how difficult the current travel can be.
“Games get canceled and backed up," he said. "It is a nightmare for the commissioner, a nightmare for the schools.”
Hodges has been an official in Central Oregon for over 20 years, and has seen the difference having more local games can make.
“Well, when I first arrived in Central Oregon, coming from the Portland area officiating and having that conference all in Central Oregon, it was great. We got some great crowds for games, and just the electricity in the gym was just pretty spectacular,” Hodges said. “I miss those days, and I hope that those return with the realignment of the Central Oregon league.”
Haas said Bend schools will still do some traveling, but the change will keep students and teacher-coaches from missing multiple days of school for a league game.
