It was a match that worked for all parties concerned.
At an April 12 meeting of Flint Metro League schools at Holly High School, the league’s principals voted unanimously to admit Clio High School as the league’s eighth member, beginning with the 2005-06 school year.
With the move, the Mustangs will be leaving the Big Nine Conference following the 2004-05 school year, after 45 seasons in that league.
Brandon High School is one of the other seven schools in the Flint Metro, along with Oxford, Linden, Fenton, Lapeer East, Lapeer West, and Holly.
Dr. Michael Ferguson, BHS principal, said it made sense for the league’s principals to admit Clio to the Flint Metro.
‘The league has been looking for an eighth member for some time, to make things easier for scheduling,? he said. ‘They seemed to be a good fit as far as their programs, as well as having curriculum in line with other Flint Metro schools. We’re not just an athletic league, but an academic league as well.?
Gary Langdon, athletic director at Clio High School, said school size considerations played a role in Clio, which has 1,082 students, leaving the Big Nine for the Flint Metro.
He further said the Mustangs simply had a tougher time going up against larger schools in the Big Nine, such as Grand Blanc, Davison, Carmen-Ainsworth, and Flushing, particularly when Clio went up against those schools in football and boys basketball.
‘With our size, it is extremely difficult for our student-athletes to compete with the larger schools in the Big Nine,? he said. ‘The Flint Metro has districts more comparable in size to ours.?
However, a sense of cohesion between the schools in the Flint Metro was another reason for Clio to join the conference, Langdon said.
‘We began looking at the Flint Metro as an athletic conference, but it evolved into more than that,? he said. ‘The guidance offices and principals from the Flint Metro interacted more often than those from the Big Nine, and the student councils interchange members and have a combined talent show.?
The distance to Clio from Brandon may be a little longer than to other league schools, but Brandon officials said that is manageable.
Brandon Athletic Director Larry Lamphere said it will take approximately 35 miles to commute from Brandon to Clio, which he said would be the furthest commute for Brandon to any of the other Flint Metro schools.
However, Ferguson said the commute to Clio won’t be as bad compared with trips the Blackhawks have made to other schools.
‘We’ve replaced Montrose with Clio on our football schedule, and Montrose is further away,? he said.