Bureau Valley ready for new challenge in the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland Conference

The Bureau Valley Storm will be going new places this fall, more far than near.

After 24 years in the Big Rivers/Three Rivers Conference, the Storm are embarking on a new adventure in the Lincoln Trail/Prairieland Conference, which is the merger of the two conferences for football only.

Bureau Valley sought to compete against schools closer to its own size when it joined the Lincoln Trail. For this year, Bureau Valley (319 enrollment) is the smallest school in the large-school football division of the LTP. The Storm takes the spot of Aledo Mercer County, which trade places with BV and joined the Three Rivers.

Other teams in the division are Macomb (584), Lewistown co-op (381), Elmwood-Brimfield (380), Farmington (351), Hamilton West Hancock (344), Knoxville (328) and Carthage Illini West (321).

Those schools have an average enrollment of 384 compared to the average enrollment of 492 of the Storm’s five opponents in the Three Rivers Mississippi Division last year, in which BV was the second-smallest school after Sterling Newman.

The Storm are excited to the new challenges that lie ahead.

“I am looking forward to it,” BV senior Elijah Endress running back/linebacker said. “New faces. Never seen them before. Should be good competition. We’ll go through film and make sure everyone’s getting their hours in.”

“We get to explore a lot more teams. Lot more schools that are our size,” BV senior quarterback Bryce Helms said. “Don’t know any of the other teams. Don’t know any of the other players. We’ll be watching film for the first time.

“We’re definitely excited about it because of the competition. We’re excited for all sports and the competition is going to be good. I’m hoping we can do good in it.”

BV senior Aidan Besler (G/LB) welcomes the opportunity to introduce the Lincoln Trail/Praireland to Storm football.

“Just new opportunities to show up and show them what Bureau Valley is about,” he said. “That’s all we can do, show up and show them we’re a dedicated program. We’re hard hitting and ready to go.”

Farmington (9-2) is the defending champion is the large-school division and Stark County (10-1) is the defending champion in the small-school side. The conference produced seven playoff teams last year in Class 1-2A, including Annawan-Wethersfield (10-2).

The Storm will meet their first Lincoln Trail/Prairieland opponent in the Aug. 30 season opener when they make the trip to Monmouth United in crossover play.

They will get their first taste of conference play in Week 3 when they host Lewistown co-op.

Along with the new teams comes news destinations and longer road trips. The Storm will play five games on the road this year with an average trip of 108 miles. Carthage is the farthest trip at 151 miles and Monmouth United is the shortest at 89 miles.

Next year, the conference will look to go to geographical divisions, which would give Bureau Valley much more favorable matchups with schools closer to its size and for travel distances. That includes Oneida ROWVA (275 enrollment), Annawan-Wethersfield (236), Stark County (220) and Princeville (210).

The Storm won four conference championships (2004, 2005, 2006, 2008) in the Three Rivers, but went 5-24 over the past five years, including stints in both the Mississippi (three years) and Rock (two years) divisions.