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NF Joins MVAC Scarlet Tier for SY 27-28

Newton Falls High School Announces Transition to MVAC Scarlet Tier for 2027-2028 School Year

NEWTON FALLS, OH – Newton Falls High School is officially announcing a shift in its athletic landscape. Beginning with the 2027-2028 school year, the Tigers will formally enter the Scarlet Tier of the Mahoning Valley Athletic Conference (MVAC).

This transition marks a strategic move for the Newton Falls athletic department, aligning the Tigers with schools of similar enrollment sizes to ensure a balanced and sustainable competitive environment for all student-athletes.

Newton Falls will join a premier group of local institutions in the Scarlet Tier. Below is the updated official conference alignment, including enrollment figures and approximate travel times from Newton Falls High School:

School DistrictHS EnrollmentApprox. Travel Time
Mineral Ridge26615 Minutes
Campbell24730 Minutes
Newton Falls245—
Springfield24335 Minutes
McDonald23320 Minutes
Jackson-Milton17010 Minutes
Lowellville13635 Minutes
Western Reserve12720 Minutes
Sebring9630 Minutes

“This has been a work in progress for some time now,” said Athletic Director Chad Rankin. “For the first time in probably 40 years, we will be in a league that is predominantly schools our size. This will give our kids better opportunities to be competitive.”

Rankin added, “While we will greatly miss our previous rivalries versus Labrae, Champion, Brookfield, and Liberty, we look forward to starting new rivalries in the MVAC while still being able to play those teams as non-league opponents. In the end, this decision was based on competitiveness, school size, and travel.”

The move to the Scarlet Tier is expected to enhance the game-day experience for students, parents, and the community by fostering natural rivalries with neighboring schools of comparable size.

While the conference schedule will change, Newton Falls remains committed to maintaining its historic local ties through non-conference scheduling.

The 2027-2028 season will usher in this new era of Tiger Pride, providing a platform where competitive equity and student success remain the top priorities.

For more information, contact:

Chad Rankin
Athletic Director
(330) 333-4311
rankinc@nfschools.org

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JHHS

Newton Falls Choir Performs at OMEA District 5 Chamber Choir Festival

On Monday, Newton Falls Schools’ choir students had the opportunity to represent our district at the Ohio Music Education Association (OMEA) District 5 Chamber Choir Festival, a regional event that brings together talented singers from across our area for an afternoon of collaboration and an evening performance.

Under the leadership of Miss Christie Hrdlicka, Band and Choir Director for Grades 6-12 and Director of the Tiger Marching Band, our students spent the afternoon rehearsing alongside choir members from five other local schools.

The experience gave students a chance to grow as musicians, build new connections, and learn what it takes to prepare a high-quality performance in a short period of time.

During the evening concert, each school performed a selection under the direction of its own choir director.

Newton Falls Choir performed one piece under Miss Hrdlicka’s direction, showcasing our students’ hard work and musicianship.

Then came the highlight of the festival: all participating schools combined to form a nearly 120-voice choir, performing two additional pieces together under the guest direction of Mrs. Brianne Samson from Thiel College.

Singing as part of an ensemble of that size is a powerful experience, and it pushes students to listen more carefully, blend more intentionally, and rise to a new level of performance.

“This is an incredible opportunity for our students,” Miss Hrdlicka shared.

We are proud of our choir students for representing Newton Falls so well and grateful to our staff and families for supporting opportunities like this.

Experiences such as the OMEA Chamber Choir Festival help students grow in confidence, skill, and community, and we look forward to seeing how they build on this momentum throughout the rest of the school year.