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Bill Weiss didn’t even think about it until he was asked.

What was he thinking going into the Wildcats final year in the Rum River conference?

Once he began to think about it, the emotions started to surface.

“I’m going to miss a lot of things about the Rum River. Certainly, it’s going to be sad to see some of the rivalries come to an end. In football, we’re probably not going to see most of those teams after this year,” said Weiss, head football coach at Chisago Lakes. “One of the things I’m also going to miss, which has been a constant for me, are all of the other coaches. The coaches in this league are great men, I’m going to miss them a lot. People like the late Clark Bergloff from Mora. We set the bar for coaches in this league. Coaches like Doug Patnode of Princeton and Larry Herm of Foley also come to mind.”

Mora, Princeton, and Foley, three teams that are on this fall’s schedule, but will not be on the schedule next year. As a matter of fact, the ‘Cats first game of the season is a road match-up against Foley, possibly their last trip to Falconville.

Chisago Lakes will also play St. Michael-Albertville, Zimmerman, Big Lake and Pine City this season, most likely for the final time.

“A & W trips after Pine City games, that’s another thing that comes to mind when you talk about tradition in the Rum River,” explained Weiss. “Win or lose, we would always stop there after the game for an A&W and a burger.”

The ‘Cats play at Pine City October 20.

“Certain sports, you can keep some of those teams on your schedule, but with football you can’t,” added Perry Aadland, Chisago Lakes Activities Director. “We’ll have a full slate of new teams, we won’t have any room. With other sports like volleyball, basketball, and hockey, we’ll probably still be able to play the Mora’s and Pine City’s. At least, I hope we do.”

The high school football season kicks off September 3. While Chisago Lakes will be in Foley, North Branch will face Pine City on the road.

As for volleyball, their season begins August 31.

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Conference Note:

In a move that was passed before Chisago Lakes and North Branch announced they were leaving the conference, this season, the Rum River will crown two champions at the end of the season; one from 4A and one from 3A.

For example, in football, of the 10 teams in the conference, five come out of 4A and five are 3A. At the end of the season, a champion will be named for each class.

4A Teams:

Chisago Lakes

North Branch

St. Michael-Albertville

Big Lake

Princeton

3A Teams:

Mora

Foley

Pine City

Zimmerman

Milaca

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