LCC, Bath, Elida, St. John's agree to football series

Lima Central Catholic, Bath, Elida and Delphos St. John’s have entered into a four-year agreement to play each other in football the first two weeks of the season, beginning in the 2013 season.

In 2013 in week one, LCC will play at Bath and St. John’s will go to Elida. The following week, LCC will play at St. John’s.

In 2014 in week one, Bath will go to LCC and Elida will play at St. John’s. The second week of the season, LCC will be at home against St. John’s.

In 2015, LCC will start the season at Elida and St. John’s will go to Bath. The St. John’s-LCC game will be at St. John’s the second week of the season.

In 2016, Elida will go to LCC and Bath will be at St. John’s in the opening weekend of the season and St. John’s will got to LCC in week two.

Lima Central Catholic athletic director Ron Williams says the hope is that the series will go on long into the future.

"The goal is that every two years we sign on for two more years. Hopefully, it’s an agreement that lasts a long time," he said. "It’s a four-season agreement and we had discussed six years."

LCC will play one final season in the Northwest Conference in the 2012-2013 school year, then will be an independent unless it finds a new league.

This agreement, along with a four-year contract to play Marion Pleasant, gives the Thunderbirds three football games for the 2013 season, with seven more still to be scheduled.

It also solves scheduling problems for some of the other local schools. Delphos St. John’s and Elida both had to schedule out of state non-league opponents early last season when Elida played Detroit Henry Ford and St. John’s played Detroit Central Catholic. LCC and St. John’s will replace Allen East on Bath’s schedule.

"We really appreciate, with all the talk about public and private schools, that these two schools (Bath and Elida) stepped forward and said this is a good thing for the community," Williams said.