(WAND) - A football co-operative agreement between Central A&M and Okaw Valley has been approved.
"After years of battling it out in sports, Central A&M and Okaw Valley have found common ground. That common ground will be on the football field, where the Raiders and the Timberwolves plan to join forces for Friday Night Lights," Central A&M High School posted to Facebook.
The Central A&M School Board approved the agreement between Central A&M High School and Okaw Valley High School Monday night.
“This is a good fit for our program and culture,” Central A&M Head Football Coach Brent Weakly said. “We are really excited for this opportunity, excited for the kids of both districts, and excited for the communities. It’s going to be fun and exciting. The football staff is ready to meet the new players and get to work.”
The agreement, which was approved by the Okaw Valley School Board in a meeting on April 24, runs for the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 school years.
“The Okaw Valley Community is thrilled to have an amazing opportunity with the Central A&M program,” Okaw Valley Athletic Director Brooks Inman said. “We look forward to building a great relationship and helping make an impact with the football program.”
The co-op football program, once officially approved by the affiliated conferences and the Illinois High School Association, will begin play in August of 2025.
"We are excited to be a part of a rich tradition of football and cannot wait for August,” Okaw Valley High School Principal Matt Shoaff said.
“The students at Central A&M and Okaw Valley have a lot of similarities,” Central A&M High School Principal Charles Brown said. “When the opportunity presented itself to co-op in football, I saw it as a win-win. We help solidify the numbers in our 11-man football program, giving us a better chance to field JV and Freshmen teams. The students at Okaw Valley have the opportunity to play football again after losing their co-op with Sullivan.”
Plans for the agreement started over a month ago. Logistics will now be planned. First will be the summer workouts to form the team.
“These are competitive kids, and I have no doubt they will pull together for the common goal of victory on Friday nights,” Brown said. “It will also add even more fun when we compete against each other in the other sports.”
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