Kirk Bey: Coulee-SWC agreement makes for long trips, new rivalries

By KIRK BEY / La Crosse Tribune

When Gordy Beyer says it’s a hike from Arcadia to southwestern Wisconsin, he’s not exaggerating.

It’s roughly 110 miles between Arcadia and Richland Center, where the Arcadia High School football team played Friday night. Beyer, the Raiders’ coach, figured it would take the team bus 1½ hours just to reach the south side of La Crosse. By his estimation, they would reach their destination one hour and several numb backsides later.

“There’s some travel involved, no doubt about it,” Beyer said. Discover Wisconsin? The 12 football teams in the Coulee Conference and Southwest Wisconsin Conference certainly will over the next two seasons.

The WIAA in April approved an agreement that allows them to play crossover games that count toward each league’s respective standings. Matchups were determined by a blind draw, and teams were guaranteed one home game and one road game.

Speaking of the latter, all 12 teams will take long-distance trips that make parents of young children tremble. Black River Falls had a 115-mile drive for Friday’s game at Lancaster. Gale-Ettrick-Trempealeau earns the prize for the longest trip, a 134-mile jaunt to Platteville next Friday.

But you know what? This is a journey that both players, coaches and fans from both conferences should enjoy taking.

The Coulee and SWC formed their partnership out of necessity. The Coulee was left with six teams, and the prospect of each team having to find another nonconference game, when La Crescent left for the Hiawatha Valley League. SWC teams had a seven-game conference schedule, but they had to play two teams twice to reach seven games.

Look what their predicament has left us. Want to see Lancaster, which has won five Division 4 and 5 state titles since 2000? The Flying Arrows will be in West Salem next Friday.

I’d like to think anyone who watches some of the Coulee’s elite teams will be impressed. West Salem was the Division 4 state runner-up both in 2002 and 2005, and the Panthers reached the Division 4 state semifinals last season. Black River Falls was the Division 4 state runner-up in 1999, and the Tigers reached the Division 3 state quarterfinals last year. G-E-T reached the Division 3 state quarterfinals in 2003.

“I think this (crossover series) is going to be fun for the teams and the coaches,” Prairie du Chien coach Aaron Amundson said. “Different options were considered, and this was the preferred option.”

Amundson likely is eager to see what will happen next weekend. The first week of Coulee/SWC crossover games wrapped up Friday with the SWC going x-x.

Beyer will gladly welcome Prairie du Chien, which visits Arcadia next Friday. Long bus rides aside, he also welcomes keeping the crossover series between the two conference going beyond 2008.

“This is a very neat and challenging time for the Coulee,” Beyer said. “It’s good for us to get out and test ourselves against other teams. Both (the Coulee and SWC) have good teams that have gone deep into the playoffs. Their conference is great, but so is ours.”

Kirk Bey can be reached at (608) 791-8414, or at kbey@lacrossetribune.com