Sports

Howland to EBC for football only could be finalized May 7

By Mike Brown
OHSAA logo
OHSAA logo Photo provided

The Eastern Buckeye Conference and Howland High School are in the process of crossing all their T’s and dotting all their I’s in regard to the Tigers officially joining the league for football only.

The EBC will hold a superintendent/athletic directors meeting on May 7 at which time the Howland situation could be finalized, according to two sources.

Football schedules are usually set at least one year and sometimes two years in advance, so details will have to be worked out as to when the Tigers would become an official EBC member in football.

Who is in the Eastern Buckeye Conference?

The EBC currently has six members, including Alliance, Marlington, West Branch, Salem, Minerva and Carrollton high schools. The league takes in five counties, including Stark, Carroll, Columbiana, Mahoning and Portage (West Branch is in Mahoning but is also in a small section of Portage County). If Howland officially becomes a member in football, the league will encompass six counties, as the Tigers are from Trumbull County.

The Tigers have played EBC member West Branch in football for past three seasons as a non-league opponent and will host the Warriors in Week 5 this fall. Howland will also entertain EBC member Carrollton as a new non-league opponent in Week 4 this autumn.

Howland has actually been in prior leagues with half of the current EBC members including Alliance and Salem (the former Metro Athletic Conference) and West Branch (the original Mahoning Valley Conference).

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