Dayville/Monument ball carrier Gage Jenks looks to stay on his feet during the Tigers’ 33-26 win over Pine Eagle. If approved by the Monument School Board, Long Creek would join the Dayville/Monument sports co-op during fall sports.

DAYVILLE — The Dayville/Monument sports co-op may be getting a new member for fall sports.

The Dayville School Board voted 3-1 to accept Long Creek into the Dayville/Monument sports co-op during a meeting on Tuesday, April 12. The vote came after discussions about the feasibility and logistics of the move.

The move was described as a one-year trial. The board would have the option to renew the agreement following the 2023-24 fall sports season or terminate the deal if Long Creek’s addition to the co-op doesn’t go as smoothly as planned.

Dayville/Monument head football coach Chris Carlin spoke in support of the move, saying that he’d like a few more players on the football roster to help mitigate the injury-related attrition that plagued his team at the end of last season. Dayville Superintendent Davida Irving also supported the move, stating that she believes giving kids the opportunity to participate in sports is important.

Long Creek would join the Dayville/Monument sports co-op for football and volleyball only. The Mountaineer basketball and track teams would continue to operate outside the sports co-op.

Carlin outlined some of the terms of the agreement at the board meeting, stating that Dayville/Monument kids would not be traveling to Long Creek for practices and that Long Creek School isn’t requesting that any games be played in Long Creek during the 2023-24 fall sports season.

Babette Larson was the lone “no” vote. Larson said she didn’t have anything against Long Creek but pointed to the already complex nature of the Dayville/Monument co-op arrangement.

Dayville’s vote to accept Long Creek into the co-op isn’t the end of the story. Monument’s school board has to vote to accept the Mountaineers as part of the co-op as well.

The Monument School Board will meet on Monday, April 24. Superintendent Laura Thomas said the board discussed adding Long Creek to the co-op at its March 16 meeting but decided to table to vote until the April meeting. The board did express unanimous support for the move, however.

Personally, Thomas said, she likes the idea.

“I am supportive of Long Creek joining the Monument/Dayville sports co-op for football and volleyball for the 2023-2024 school year,” she said.

“This would be providing opportunities for students, and that is something I am always supportive of.”

Dayville and Monument voting to admit Long Creek into the co-op isn’t the final step in the process however as the OSAA would still need to approve of the addition.