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Bonner Springs to join KVL, will be 10th school

By Shawn Linenberger - | Oct 3, 2001

Starting next year, Bonner Springs a class 5A school will join the Kaw Valley League.

The Braves will be the only class 5A school in the league, which includes one 3A school and eight 4A schools.

The addition of Bonner Springs further widens the enrollment gap between schools in the league. For purposes of determining classifications, Bonner Springs’ enrollment for sophomores, juniors and seniors is 494, while Immaculata’s enrollment is counted as 140, according to the Kansas State High School Activities Association.

The Kaw Valley League approved the addition of Bonner Springs, starting next school year. The Braves have been a member of the Huron League with Bishop-Ward, Turner, Sumner Academy, Ottawa and Atchison. THS athletics director John Lee said Bonner Springs’ entrance into the KVL means schedules would have to be rearranged somewhat.

“I don’t mind,” Lee said. “We play them in everything now. It’s a pretty good rivalry. If anything it will make our schedules more competitive.”

The addition of 5A Bonner Springs continues to make the KVL a diverse league, said Mark Elston, THS football coach.

“There are probably very few leagues with schools 200 students apart,” Elston said, referring to De Soto (285) and Mill Valley (475).

Actually, this year’s range is almost 360 between the KVL’s largest school Lansing (494) and Immaculata (140).

The Kansas State High School Activities Association set Tonganoxie’s enrollment for football for the next two years at 391, compared to 376 this year.

The football classification counts freshmen, sophomores and juniors and is done every two years.

Classifications for others sports are done every year and sophomores, juniors and seniors are counted.

Class 4A ranges from 218 to 490 for this school year for all sports but football. Bonner Springs narrowly missed 4A, tallying 494 students.

For football classification, Bonner Springs was just two students above the cut-off. The range is 529-963 and BSHS had 965.