CVCHS football saga to end soon
When Clayton Valley Charter High School (CVCHS) football goes to an away league game this fall it will either be by heading toward East Contra Costa-based Bay Valley Athletic League schools or south down 680 to the schools in the East Bay Athletic League.
The only thing that’s certain is that Ugly Eagle football will not be part of the Diablo Athletic League for the next five years. Clayton Valley Charter leaves the DAL without ever losing a league football game in its three years of existence.
That success—and the lopsided victory margins—prompted the 11 other DAL schools last fall to petition the North Coast Section to remove CVCHS from the league for football only because they are “overly competitive school in football.” They requested CVCHS be moved to another league while the rest of the Concord school’s athletic program remain in the DAL.
Clayton Valley Charter appealed that request but when its appeal was turned down, the only options for CVCHS to be placed in the NCS Valley Conference were the EBAL or BVAL.
This issue has been a major subject on NCS meeting agendas for several months and the final decision is now in sight. At the most recent meeting of the NCS Alignment Committee the group voted to move CVCHS to the EBAL, the league featuring De La Salle/Carondelet and nine Tri-Valley area schools.
Lemmon reports that the EBAL has told him they will appeal that decision. A three-member hearing panel will rule on the appeal. If it is turned down, CVCHS to the EBAL will be final. If the appeal is accepted then CVCHS will go to the BVAL.
Lemmon explains that, “Any decision [from the hearing panel] will be voted on by the Board of Managers Mar. 29. This placement is for the 2019 and 2020 football seasons. In August, the Alignment Committee will consider language for what happens after the two-years end.”
Jay Bedecarré
Jay Bedecarré is a long-time resident and writer in Concord and Clayton. He began his newspaper writing career while still a senior at Mt. Diablo High School and he has been part of The Pioneer since its inception in 2003. Jay also operates Bay Area Festivals, presenting events around the San Francisco Bay Area including Bay Area KidFest annually in Downtown Concord.