Mohonasen athletic teams will join the Colonial Council with the start of the 2018-19 school year.
The district has discussed the move from the Suburban Council for years – and Athletic Director Jason Friesen said it’s a positive change for Mohonasen athletes.
“Mohonasen, which is a Class A district, has been the smallest school in the Suburban Council for a number of years,” said Friesen. “The Colonial Council will provide a better competitive balance for our student athletes and will be a breath of fresh air at Mohonasen.
As part of the Colonial Council, Mohonasen joins neighboring Schalmont, as well as Albany Academy for Boys and Albany Academy for Girls, Catholic Central, Cobleskill-Richmondville, Cohoes, Ichabod Crane, Holy Names, Lansingburgh, LaSalle, Ravena-Coeymans-Selkirk, Voorheesville and Watervliet school districts.
Despite the athletics shift, Mohonasen will retain its affiliation with the Suburban Council for academic and administrative purposes as well as programs such as music, a move that was supported by Suburban Council member superintendents and high school principals.
“Mohonasen has been a member of the Suburban Council for decades, and as a district we have benefited from the collaborative efforts that result from such long-time relationships,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. Kathleen A. Spring. “While we believe that the Colonial Council is a great fit for our athletics program, we will maintain our relationship with Suburban Council for other programs and connections that are important for our students.”
Friesen said he is looking forward to seeing how Mohonasen teams stack up against their new competition.
“Mohonasen has developed a good rivalry with Schalmont over the years in certain sports, so it will be fun to see our teams compete in the same league,” said Friesen.
Friesen said that the Colonial Council Principals and Athletic Directors unanimously approved Mohonasen’s membership. In turn, that was followed by the Suburban Council Principals and Athletic Directors unanimously agree to release Mohonasen from the Suburban Council.
“Switching leagues is long overdue and will be very positive for Mohonasen’s athletes and athletics,” said Friesen.
Most of the schools in the Colonial Council are Class A or below, though Catholic Central and LaSalle as AA schools.