Conewago Valley athletics director: fall teams strong, league realignment brings schedule changes; T‑Mobile grant awarded

At a Sept. 22 meeting of the Conewago Valley School District Athletics Subcommittee in New Oxford, Mr. Henderson, speaking for athletics staff, reported early success across fall sports, a small corporate grant for the program and upcoming league realignments that will affect schedules beginning in 2026.

Henderson said the district received $5,000 from T‑Mobile after participating in a social‑media campaign and that the district remains in competition for a larger prize of $25,000 (and a national prize one speaker joked could be $1 million). “We received $5,000 from T Mobile,” Henderson said. He added the district will do a check presentation at a home football game later in the fall.

The report included season records and notable performances: Henderson said the football team was “off to a 5 and 0 start” with 26 seniors on the roster; boys soccer was 7‑2 and positioned to qualify for the district tournament; girls tennis stood at 9‑3; and cross‑country runner Laura Keltner placed third in a field of about 188 runners at a recent invitational.

Henderson also outlined changes to league and divisional alignments that will take effect for the 2026 cycle. He said the York league is shifting divisional placement criteria from strictly enrollment toward a mix of enrollment and program strength. The district will move back to Division I in football based on a five‑year winning percentage, he said, and the league is pursuing a guaranteed crossover game with the Lancaster‑Lebanon League to help fill schedules. Henderson named several schools that will join the York league for 2026, including James Buchanan, Big Spring and Delone Christian.

Henderson framed the realignment as an attempt to balance competitive equity with enrollment, saying the leagues are trying “to do what’s best for kids.” He noted there may still be a process for appeals and that some schedules and cross‑league arrangements were not final.

The subcommittee also received brief status updates from other fall programs, and Henderson invited questions about schedules and postseason positioning.

Looking ahead, Henderson said the district will finalize details as league assignments and nonconference scheduling are completed. He also announced the T‑Mobile presentation will occur at a home football game later this season and said staff will report back to the subcommittee on any finalized crossover agreements or appeals outcomes.