From staff reports

sports@joplinglobe.com

ROGERSVILLE, Mo. — Neosho officially became the 15th member of the Central Ozark Conference on Wednesday night.

The vote to approve Neosho’s admission was taken by superintendents from conference members at Logan-Rogersville High School.

Neosho will join the conference for the 2008-09 school year. Carthage and Webb City — current members of the Southwest Conference along with Neosho — already have been accepted for COC membership.

By adding Neosho, the Central Ozark Conference will have eight members in the large-school division and seven in the small-school division.

Neosho school and COC officials will have 11 months to work on by-laws and scheduling for the conference switch, said Stephen Kleinsmith, Nixa superintendent.

“It would have been real hard to not continue playing Carthage and Webb City,” said Neosho football coach Ray Godfrey. “I feel bad that we’re not going to be with McDonald County. I hope there’s a way they can get in.”

McDonald County and Nevada are the only members of the Southwest Conference that have not found a new affiliation. Both have reportedly applied for admission to the Big 8 Conference.

From a football perspective, the conference change will alleviate scheduling problems, Godfrey said.

“It’s been difficult to get (10) games,” Godfrey said. “Normally, you’re pretty good with eight games. ... Monett has been a long-standing (nonconference) game and Seneca is a great rivalry game.”

Neosho has played nonconference games against COC schools Branson, Republic, Nixa and Ozark in the past few years.