by Dave Boehler
Beacon Sports Editor

The Fox River Classic Conference is getting bigger for football.

Several football-only conference realignments across the state, passed by the WIAA Board of Control last week, will be implemented for the 2020 season.

So the 10-team FRCC has one season left before adding four more teams and splitting into divisions the following year.

“I’m happy they figured it out because there were so many different projections and thoughts on what it would look like,” South coach Jason Harder said. “So it’s nice to finally have something to go off of. We’ll focus on that schedule in 2020 after we try to improve on this next season.”

South and North will compete in the South Division with Manitowoc, Menasha, Green Bay East, Green Bay West and Green Bay Notre Dame.

The North Division will consist of Green Bay Preble, Green Bay Southwest, Bay Port, De Pere, West De Pere, Pulaski and Ashwaubenon.

The four teams joining the FRCC are West De Pere, Menasha, Green Bay East and Green Bay West (East and West used to be in the league).

Each team will play the six other schools in their division and there will be a random cross-over game. Unlike the current conference, there will also be two non-conference games on each team’s schedule.

“I think a lot of other coaches are excited about that,” Harder said. “Everybody was in favor of having those first two weeks to go get your own game, play somebody else and give the kids a different team to prepare for.”

North coach Joe O’Brien, who says the conference had been talking about realignment since last season ended, feels the divisional format will allow his team to be more competitive.

North was 0-9 the last two seasons after going 1-8 in 2015 and ’16.

South was 1-8 the last four years.

“It definitely allows us to hopefully be in more ballgames and catch a couple more ‘Ws’ each year,” O’Brien said. “It’s definitely something I’m excited about.

“I’m just really excited for us at North, and really for football across the state.”

2020 FRCC

South Division   North Division

Sheb. South                      Preble

Sheb. North          GB Southwest

Man. Lincoln                Bay Port

Menasha                        De Pere

Green Bay East      West De Pere

Green Bay West              Pulaski

Notre Dame         Ashwaubenon

2018 FRCC STANDINGS

Bay Port                                9-0

Pulaski                                  8-1

Notre Dame                          7-2

Preble                                   6-3

Ashwaubenon                       5-4

De Pere                                 4-5

GB Southwest                       3-6

Manitowoc Lincoln               2-7

Sheboygan South                  1-8

Sheboygan North                  0-9