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Monticello Focused On Moving Forward After Okaw Movement

Nine schools in the Okaw Valley Conference submitted letters Tuesday afternoon of their intent to leave the Okaw Valley Conference and start their own conference (Sullivan, Shelbyville, Warrensburg-Latham, Meridian, Central A &M, Clinton, Tuscola, Decatur St. Teresa, and Argenta-Oreana).

Monticello, Tolono Unity and Maroa-Forsyth are the remaining three schools in the aftermath of a meeting which saw an invitation to join extended to Clinton, and in a surprising move, Clinton accepted. Randy Moss is Monticello High School's Athletic Director and Assistant Principle. He says they were caught off guard by the move of Clinton High School but he anticipated eight schools leaving would eventually happen.

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Moss from the beginning, back in May when talks of dismembering began, has not been pleased with the way things have been handled. He says he wishes the decision for these schools to leave the conference would have come sooner, however, he says it is now in the past and Monticello along with the other two schools have to move forward and figure out what is best for the group.

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Having success in football seems to be the outlier in this situation which may cause some administrators to be weary of down the road being removed from a conference because of that sucess. He explains Monticello will remain in contact with administrators from Tolono Unity and Maroa-Forsyth as they work for the future of their programs.

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Because Monticello is a founding member of the Okaw, they have the rights to the conference name. Moss says as long as they can, they would like to retain the Okaw name and try to make it continue on.

Join us on Friday morning as Regional Radio News will have reaction from Maroa-Forsyth administrators on the Tuesday happenings in the Okaw.

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