Conference realignment coming to NSC?
The North Suburban Conference could have a new look in a couple of years.
Acting NSC president Jim McKay has confirmed that breaking up the conference "is being considered, but nothing has been formalized yet."
The conference currently consists of two seven-school divisions, all of which are in Lake County. Antioch, Grant, Lakes, North Chicago, Round Lake, Vernon Hills and Wauconda comprise the NSC Prairie. Lake Forest, Lake Zurich, Libertyville, Mundelein, Stevenson, Warren and Zion-Benton make up the NSC Lake.
Multiple sources say Vernon Hills would join the Lake Division schools to form an eight-school NSC. Grayslake Central and Grayslake North would leave the Fox Valley Conference and join Antioch, Grant, Lakes, North Chicago, Round Lake and Wauconda to form a yet-to-be-named conference.
"If the formation of a new conference comes to be, I'm not sure what the move of Vernon Hills will be," McKay said, "whether they stay with the North Suburban Conference or they find a different conference."
McKay also serves as superintendent of Community High School District 117, which includes Antioch and Lakes. He confirmed that if it all goes down, the two new conferences would not be in place until the 2016-17 school year.
A representative from either Grayslake Central or Grayslake North could not be reached.
For now, McKay stressed that nothing is official.
"Just in terms of the process, the school boards need to weigh in on this," McKay said. "That's not happened."
The school boards McKay refers to are Wauconda Community Unit School District 118, Grayslake Community High School District 127, Grant Community High School District 124, Round Lake Area Schools Community Unit School District 116, Community High School District 117 (Antioch and Lakes) and North Chicago Community Unit School District 187.
"I know that all of those boards of education have at least heard about this and are considering it," McKay said. "But no action has been taken.
"I would suspect that within the month boards of education may act on this."
The NSC last underwent change in 2005, when newly opened Lakes joined. Zion-Benton switched from the Prairie to the Lake division.
In 1997, the Northwest Suburban Conference - which consisted of Grayslake, Grant, Johnsburg, Marian Central, Round Lake and Wauconda - broke up. Grayslake immediately joined the FVC. When the FVC expanded in 2006 with the opening of Grayslake North, Grayslake North and renamed Grayslake Central became members of the FVC Fox Division.
Grayslake Central and Grayslake North are the only Lake County high schools in the FVC.
Boys basketball
Carmel Catholic fall league
Carmel Catholic High School will hold its skill night/fall league on the following Sundays: Sept. 7, Sept. 14, Sept. 21, Sept. 28 and Oct. 5. The league is designed to welcome future Carmel players to sessions of skill development and competitive games. The league, which is for boys grades 3-8 as of the 2014-15 school year, is run by the Carmel boys basketball staff and current student/athletes. Skill development is 4:30-5:30 p.m. and games are 5:30-7 p.m. All sessions will take place in Salvi Arena and the auxiliary gym at Carmel. Price is $100, which includes all five nights and a Carmel Corsairs reversible jersey. Please direct any questions to: Zack Ryan at zryan@carmelhs.org
Carmel Catholic feeder tryouts
Carmel Catholic High School will hold feeder tryouts for the 2014-15 winter season on Sunday, Oct. 12 and Sunday, Oct. 19 in Salvi Arena and the auxiliary gym at Carmel. Grades 5 and 6 will try out from 4-5:30 p.m. Grades 7 and 8 will try out from 5:30-7 p.m. Please direct any questions to: Zack Ryan at zryan@carmelhs.org