Cloverdale football to go independent after this season

Tuesday, August 13, 2024 at 9:00 AM

By Paul Gable

Cloverdale football to move to an independent status after this season. All of Cloverdale's other varsity sports will remain in the WIC.

The Western Indiana Conference was already going to look vastly different for the 2025 football season as both North Putnam and Greencastle were leaving for the newly minted Monon Athletic Conference.

But, the hits have continued to come for the WIC and the impact is being felt at Cloverdale High School, according to football coach Tyler Lotz.

His program will move to an independent status after this season. All of Cloverdale's other varsity sports will remain in the WIC.

In recent weeks, Indian Creek has also announced it will leave the conference at the end of this school year, making it tougher for Cloverdale as the WIC decided it would do away with its two football divisions. Indian Creek was welcomed into a newly formed Hoosier Legends conference which includes Triton Central, Monrovia, Beech Grove, Speedway and Tri-West. The Hoosier Legends was to begin competition starting in the 2026-27 school year but announced recently the timetable will move up to next seasons to avoid scheduling difficulties.

"Going independent was definitely something I knew could possibly happen with all the changes to the WIC," Lotz told The Putnam County Post.

Lotz said he was optimistic the Clovers could stay in the small school side of the conference divisions.

"But it didn't work out that way. Being independent has its pros and cons. We are going to do our best to fill our schedule with teams that will make sense for us," Lotz said.

While a season away, an early look at the 2025 season shows Cloverdale taking on West Vigo, Brown County, South Putnam, Riverton Park, Edinburgh, South Decatur and Southside Home School. The Clovers play all those teams this year. Edgewood will replace North Putnam and Greencastle is not slated to play Cloverdale at the moment.