At a meeting Wednesday morning between the Activities Directors of the Heart O' Lakes football schools, it is expected that Frazee and Barnesville (Agassiz Valley) will announce they are leaving the conference to play football in the Valley Plains Conference.
Teams in the Valley Plains include: Fertile-Beltrami, Lake Park-Audubon, Red Lake Falls, Hawley, Fosston, Mahnomen, Badger/Greenbush-Middle River and Warren-Alvarado-Oslo.
"It's kind of a shock," Perham A.D. Fred Sailer said. "To think that we've played Frazee in football for around 75 years and this week might be the last time."
Sailer said his sources tell him that the move into the Valley Plains isn't yet official, the move is "eminent".
The HOL is planning on moving forward with a 12-team, two-division football conference next season. The North Division will include: Perham, Crookston, Park Rapids, Warroad, Roseau and East Grand Forks. The South Division will include: Pequot Lakes, Wadena-Deer Creek, Dilworth-Glyndon-Felton, Pelican Rapids, Breckenridge and West Central Area.
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The new schedule would have teams playing five games against divisional teams, and three against teams from the other division. Sailer would like to have the opportunity to make W-DC one of those non-divisional games on an annual basis to create a new rivalry.
Sailer said he is looking for a long-term commitment from the remaining 12 HOL Football teams. He fears more defections in the coming years if a long-term deal isn't agreed to.
"I predict West Central Area and Breckenridge aren't going to be to happy," Sailer noted. "The whole discussion about the changes we've made to the conference started a few years back because of WCA.
The move only affects the HOL in football. Barnesville and Frazee will participate in the HOL for all other sports.
But for now, it looks likt he gridiron version of the 'Battle of the Bees' will write it's final chapter at Meinhover Field Friday night.
"It's been a well played and balanced series for 75 years," Sailer said. "It would be sad to see it come to an end."
