Crystal City has not fielded a softball team since 2019, but the Hornets will be back in action this fall – with a big boost from their nearest neighbor to the north, Herculaneum.
The two Jefferson County Activities Association schools have received permission from the Missouri State High School Activities Association to form a co-op team, with athletes from both schools taking the field this fall and the Blackcats serving as the host school for the team.
“It’s an interesting process because everything’s got to be a ‘Yes,’” Crystal City activities director Ken Jones said. “The first time you get a ‘No’ it’s done, it’s over. But we never ran into a ‘No’ and now we’re getting ready to dive into this together and get excited to see how it works.”
Jones worked alongside Herculaneum activities director Jason Gillman through a process that required meeting with both schools’ superintendents, getting school board approval from both sides and MSHSAA Board of Directors approval.
MSHSAA communications director Jason West said co-op programs always have a host school, and Herculaneum will serve as this pairing’s host, overseeing administrative duties. The Blackcats will host all home games and be credited with any state-series appearances or record book entries.
De Soto hosted a co-op football team with Kingston High School from 2012 through 2017.
“The host school/sending school relationship essentially equals a ‘one-school’ team,” West said. Herculaneum’s current head coach, Christal Brakhage, will oversee the joint squad, assisted by Crystal City’s John Winkelman (also known as the Outdoors columnist for the Leader).
“It’s a great opportunity for us because our numbers are low and with getting athletes from both schools, it’ll work out great,” Brakhage said.
Brakhage said she has received confirmation from Crystal City athletes Blake Parker and Ryanna Raftery that they plan to play and added that other Crystal girls are interested in joining the team.
Herculaneum will bring back several players from its 5-13 team last season, including Grace Lenington, Maddy Robinson, Kimber Ashe and Lane Hamtil. Brakhage said she expects Kaylyn Yamnitz, Cheyenne Wood, Parker and Raftery to be significant contributors after playing select softball.
Any number of athletes from either school can compete.
“Having co-op agreements as an option is a big help for schools to offer more opportunities for students,” West said. “There may be a small interest in an activity, (just) not enough for a school to justify the additional staff. But co-ops may allow a school to offer the opportunity for those students who may not have a club-team option.”
Another shift for the Crystal City side will be playing in the fall season, rather than the alternative spring campaign MSHSAA opened up a decade ago for smaller schools. Crystal had previously played in the JCAA but moved to the spring season when that became available.
Herculaneum likely will remain a Class 3 program when MSHSAA announces class and district assignments, even with the addition of Crystal City to its enrollment numbers.
“They’re not just taking on four, five or six girls to their enrollment, they’re taking on a whole high school,” Jones said. “I believe (that) worked out well for Herculaneum because they’re very small in the classification that they’re in.”
West said that for a two-school co-op, the maximum combined enrollment is 1,502, based on ninth through 11th graders from the previous school year. The combined enrollment is then used to determine postseason class assignments. West added that co-ops are annual agreements. Jones said he hopes the schools can maintain the partnership for years to come.
“(I appreciate) how welcoming and courteous (the) Dunklin (school district) has been in this process because it’s putting extra work and extra things on people’s plates over there,” said Jones, who doubles as Crystal’s head girls basketball coach. “So, we’re definitely appreciative of it, especially Coach Gillman.”