Cornell (WQOW) - Student athletes at two area schools
may be playing against their teammates next season.
It's a unique result of a merger
between the schools.
On Monday,
the Cornell school board voted to co-op with Lake Holcombe
for football, but the schools remain rivals in some other sports.
"If you can't beat 'em, join 'em," the old saying goes.
"We'll have co-op's
with Lake Holcombe in Football, cross country,
wrestling, track, and baseball," said Cornell Superintendent. Dr. Paul
Schley.
The problem for Cornell isn't
winning as much as simply fielding a team. Monday, Cornell decided to co-op
with Lake Holcombe in football, while the schools
still remain separate in basketball.
"We'll have some
students that on a football field will be playing together, so you might have
the quarterback taking the snap from center and they'd be from different
schools. And you're playing together there but then in basketball season
there's one kid shooting from Cornell and the Holcombe guy is blocking him, and
it could be the same two guys," Schley said.
It is a unique situation, and one
that Cornell football and basketball player Dusty Boehm is ready for.
"Basketball season
is a different season than football, so when you're playing football and you're
on the same team, and you're working with those guys the best you can to make a
successful year. When its basketball season, you're main goal is beat them in
the game, and shake hands afterwards," Boehm said.
The towns are separated by less than
ten minutes. Boehm says the new merger will be extra motivation.
"I think really it
just creates more competition on the basketball court knowing you played
football with these guys. It creates a rivalry," said Boehm
Even though they may face off
against each other, the schools will still be supporting each other as well.
"We share two
teachers back and forth already, we have the business teacher, and they have
the home economics teacher. They swap every other day. We have students we take
up to Lake Holcombe for classes, they send students
here, so it's big picture. We do a lot together. It's a real good
relationship," Schley said.
The two schools will meet down the
road to decide on a logo and uniforms for football.
