ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — Rural school districts across the region are merging sports programs as student enrollment drops, forcing communities to make tough decisions to keep teams alive. Some districts are even discussing full mergers to preserve opportunities for students.
Gananda, East Rochester, Williamson, and Marion are already combining programs in various ways. Most recently, Albion and Medina voted to join forces on their football teams, creating the newly formed Orleans County Rivals.
“It’s a rivalry that goes back to the 1800s. It’s been pretty special in this area. It’s the longest-running rivalry in the country, actually,” said Eric Valley, Medina’s athletic director and now head coach of the Orleans County Rivals. Valley has spent 30 years coaching at Medina…