It may have been a result that nobody wanted, but administrators, educators and coaches are making the most of a challenging situation in the wake of the consolidation of Analy and El Molino high schools.
Initial shock and disappointment have given way to camaraderie and collaboration as West County High School (WCHS) teams begin fall practices this month, some seeing a big jump in the number of participants.
“I think we’re certainly seeing a positive effect on our sports programs overall because of the consolidation,” West County Co-Director of Athletics Joe Ellwood reported. “Obviously, we only have what went on during the summer and the start of fall sports to use as a gauge, but we’ve seen increased numbers particularly in football and volleyball.”
In a collaborative effort, many former El Molino and Analy coaches have combined forces, some joining varsity staffs while others head frosh and junior varsity teams.
The tone has been set at the top, where long-time El Molino Athletic Director Mike Roan has teamed up with Ellwood, a 20-year Analy veteran, to share administrative duties.
Their first order of business was to include all former coaches that wanted to continue.
“Mike and I have reached out to our respective coaches to see if they were interested in coaching in the new consolidated model,” Ellwood said.
The approach has been successful, resulting in a relatively smooth transition.
The plan has seen former El Molino head football coach Jarod Brown join the West County staff as an assistant head coach under Analy veteran coach Dan Bourdon.
Other examples under the new West County sports model include former El Molino tennis coach Monty Delozier taking over the WCHS girl’s tennis program, while veteran Analy tennis coach Rick Passero will lead the boy’s squad in the spring. Former El Mo girl’s soccer coach Emily Farrant will head the WCHS girl’s varsity soccer team this winter. In addition, many other former El Molino coaches will be filling varsity assistant and lower-level coaching positions going forward.
Roster sizes see jump
The most obvious byproduct of school consolidation has been a dramatic increase in roster sizes, particularly in cross country, football and volleyball. This has been both a blessing and a curse, since some sports can only carry a limited number of athletes.
“We had around 90 girls come out for volleyball,” Ellwood noted as an example. “Although all of our coaches are trying to keep as many participants as possible, you can not keep 30 players on a volleyball team. Some of those players are moving to other teams this fall. Girl’s golf, tennis and cross country are seeing an uptick in players now that volleyball teams are being solidified.”
The upside to increased roster size may be felt in football, where the WCHS varsity and JV teams each expect to carry around 50 players, a jump in roster size of about 30 percent. The larger rosters could potentially reduce injuries, lessening the need for two-way players – meaning less will be needed to play both offense and defense.
One thing is certain, having more talented student/athletes to draw will make all WCHS teams a force to be reckoned with in the highly competitive North Bay League.
