By Charles Grove

cgrove@vindy.com

There will be a new athletic conference for eight area high schools for the 2018-19 school year.

Girard, Hubbard, Jefferson, Lakeview, Niles, Poland and Struthers all submitted letters to withdraw from the All-American Conference on Tuesday. Those schools and South Range will be part of the NorthEast 8 Conference beginning in the fall of 2018.

After the Inter Tri-County League folded, South Range joined the Eastern Buckeye Conference initially, but notified the conference of their intent to withdraw immediately. The South Range Board of Education approved a measure to do just that Tuesday.

The eight superintendents involved released the following statement: “We appreciate what the AAC has offered, but we feel the new NE8 Conference is more in line with each district’s student enrollment. We truly feel this is what’s best for our student athletes.”