Just three plus years ago the landscape of Northeast Kansas high school sports changed with the dissolving of the Delaware Valley League and the formation of the Northeast Kansas League and movement of some area schools to the Big Seven and Twin Valley Leagues. 

Well one area school is on the move again as the ACCHS Tigers have accepted an invitation to join the NEKL joining back up with several teams they played while in the DVL years ago. The Tigers after being left out of the NEKL years ago joined the Big Seven League and have competed in that League since 2013-14 school year. The Tigers were one of two schools (Troy the other) that reached out to the NEKL about joining the League but the only one that was offered an invitation to join as the NEKL passed the motion to extend the invitation 8-0. 

The move for the NEKL and ACCHS will bring the League to nine members starting next year after the closure of Immaculata the NEKL is currently at eight member schools (Oskaloosa, Jackson Heights, Pleasant Ridge, Mclouth, Maur Hill-Mount Academy, Valley Falls, Jefferson County North and Horton). 

For ACCHS the move comes after the District has been exploring options for a better fit for their athletic programs citing declining enrollment numbers as one big reason. 

ACCHS Athletic Director, Cy Wallisch gave multiple reasons why the move makes sense for the Tigers "Over the past seven yearrs our enrollment has declined. We will drop to 2A in all sports and our numbers are more closely aligned with those schools in the NEKL and proximity is a good fit as well.  Our Junior high numbers are that we have only been able to field one team for several year." 

The Tigers will finish out the 2017-18 school year as part of the Big Seven League and then join the NEKL starting the 2018-19 school year.