Bees Athletics Look to Join the Suburban League

After more than 10 years in the Southwestern League, the Bees’ will join several other school districts in the newly shaped Suburban Athletic Conference, starting in the 2015-16 school year.

Superintendent Scot Prebels’ planned switch still needs the green light from the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Board of Education.

The Suburban league invited eight other districts — including long-time rival North Royalton — to join the newly reconfigured conference.

Distance between current foes played a part in Prebles’ decision — the Southwestern League is more west than south. 

“While we enjoy and respect our Southwestern Conference relationships, we are looking forward to re-establishing some long standing rivalries especially with North Royalton,” said Prebles in a news release.

“Additionally, we will be able to cut down on travel time and costs while maintaining competitive programs with schools offering similar academic, athletic and performing arts programs." 

The Suburban League also invited North Royalton, Hudson, Aurora, Twinsburg, Stow, Kent Roosevelt, Barberton and Cuyahoga Falls in order to be able to form two-eight team divisions of similar enrollment, according to the news release. If approved, BBHCSD will be in the “larger school” division along with Cuyahoga Falls, Hudson, Nordonia, North Royalton, Stow, Twinsburg and Wadsworth.  

Many of these schools and those in the Suburban League’s smaller school division, Revere, Highland and Copley for example, which will offer non-league play, are in a tighter geographic area than the district’s current league. According to the news release, that’s important when considering middle of the week contests for many sports and for middle school, freshman and JV competition.