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Nevada R-5 athletics embarks on WCC farewell tour
John McNeley is pleased with the overall direction of Nevada R-5 athletics.
“We feel good about our coaching staff,” said McNeley. “It’s a veteran group that has been around the block a time or two. Our coaches have a feel for what true success is.”
McNeley, entering his fifth year as the Nevada High School athletic director, is guiding R-5 athletics into a new chapter. The school, where McNeley spent 18 seasons as the head boys hoops coach, is set to leave the West Central Conference at the conclusion of the school year and join the Big 8 Conference in 2018
Nevada R-5 is in year four of its affiliation with the WCC, which includes three Kansas City-area schools as well as Clinton, Warrensburg and Sedalia Smith-Cotton. Two WCC schools, St. Pius X and Warrensburg, have already announced their intention to leave the conference at the conclusion of the 2017-18 school year. In addition, the status of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic High School (formerly known as Archbishop O’Hara), is currently up in the air.
Although nothing has been formally announced, the WCC is in clear jeopardy of disbanding. McNeley, and R-5 superintendent Tyson Beshore were appreciative that the WCC opened their doors to NHS “when no one else would.”
“Even though there were some challenges (in joining the WCC), I don’t think we regret our decision at all,” said McNeley. “Our kids have had the opportunity to get recognized, and a chance to compete for conference championships. We’ve developed relationships that will continue. It was time well spent.”
“We’ve had great relationships with each of the school districts,” said Beshore, after the decision was announced in December. “Hopefully, we can maintain those and keep our rivalries with the WCC going into the future, when we can play them (in various) sports in non-conference games.”
The conference switch also applies to Nevada Middle School, who will compete in the Big 8. NMS was previously affiliated with the Tri-County Conference.
The Big 8 Conference is comprised of 14 teams, with Nevada set to join the West division. Along with Nevada in the West division, are: Lamar, Cassville, Monett, McDonald County, Seneca, and East Newton. The Big 8 East division features Aurora, Mount Vernon, Rogersville, Marshfield, Springfield Catholic, Reeds Spring and Hollister.
Nevada’s history with the Big 8 dates back to the 1920s, as the school was a charter member of the conference. The Big 8 Conference’s makeover includes five more schools: Rogersville, Marshfield, Springfield Catholic, Hollister and Reeds Spring.
“People who aren’t real familiar with the Big 8 will find that it’s tradition-rich,” said McNeley. “They are open to change, I don’t want to indicate they’re not. But a lot of traditions they’ve had in the past will be carried forward to the new conference as much as possible — even though they’re going from a conference with eight schools to 14.”
Added McNeley: “We’ve lived the life of an Independent school, and that’s no fun. So conference-affiliation is a positive in a lot of different ways. Truth-be-known, it’s where we always felt like we should have been. I think it’s the best fit geographically, particularly with how it’s divided east and west. So we feel like we fit well geographically, and from a competitive standpoint."
McNeley said much of the scheduling for the inaugural year in the Big 8 is already in place, but added that challenges remain. One obstacle is the boys and girls basketball schedules.
Not wanting to stray too far from tradition, Big 8 schools play only within their own division, and play those schools only once during the conference schedule. In contrast, Nevada basketball teams currently play a home and away with the other six members of the WCC. As opposed to 12 games on its WCC conference slate, the NHS basketball teams will play a grand total of six conference games in the Big 8. This swells the Tigers and Lady Tigers non-conference games from four in the WCC to 10 in the Big 8.
“We’ve had discussions on this, of those 10 non-conference dates, we’ll probably play some of the (Big 8 East teams),” said McNeley.
McNeley said the Big 8 is a gifted athletic conference.
“Particularly on the football side of things,” he said. “There will be yearly challenges football-wise. You have defending state champions who are rampant in that conference. Lamar and Monett are defending state champions. Seneca’s on the rise, and people think that Cassville is probably in the running for a state championship in the next couple of years, so we’ve got our work cut out or us.”
First-year NHS head coach Wes Beachler said he’s thrilled about the pending move.
“It's exciting for me," said Beachler. “I've coached at Houston (Mo.), Parkview (Springfield) and Republic, and have ties with a lot of the guys south of here. So it’s exciting for me in that sense to go against guys that I know.”
Beachler continued: “I’m friends with Lance Parnell (Cassville) and Scott Bailey (Lamar). Coaching against them is always fun. I have real strong relationships with those guys."
Beachler said he plans to take full advantage of WCC competition, with the one remaining season already underway.
“It will be good playing those teams and getting our system implemented before we get back in the Big 8,” he said.
McNeley said the level of competition might also differ on the basketball side of things.
“From a talent-level, year-in and year-out, the West Central Conference is probably more talented,” he said. “But, the Big 8 has great coaches, they’ve got kids that compete hard. There’s a challenge in either place, but from a pure talent standpoint I think I would give the edge to the West Central.”
McNeley said it’s a trying time for high school athletics, and Nevada isn’t immune. For example, Beachler’s Tigers squad dressed only 30 players in its season-opening 28-20 loss to Seneca, and listed only 38 total (varsity and JV) players on its roster.
In terms of football, McNeley said the sharp nationwide decline in numbers is due to one primary factor.
“I think health issues are definitely a component,” explained McNeley. “(With concussions) you read so much about the effects that they’re linking back to contact.”
Added McNeley: “You look at the West Central Conference, and of the seven schools there are only two that are planning to play all three levels (varsity, JV, freshman). Sedalia, who has (an enrollment) of 1,500; and Warrensburg, around 1,100.”
McNeley, however, called the decline in numbers “cyclical,” adding that it’s imperative coaches be recruiters for their programs.
“They have to build their programs,” he said. “Success in numbers at the high school level starts with success in numbers in your youth programs and in your middle school. So our coaches have to be visible at youth events and develop those relationships. And hopefully those relationships are maintained through the middle school years, and into high school years.”
Until Monday Nevada High had planned on fielding teams at all three levels for the upcoming season. However, those plans have since been withdrawn, as Beachler and his coaching staff have decided to play only C-team games for the 2017 season. The lone exception was Monday night’s JV game against visiting Seneca, which was kept on the R-5 athletics calendar.
McNeley said the decision is based on overall “numbers and injuries.”