Imagine if Liberty had been built ten years ago.

Many of West’s current star athletes would have gone to Liberty. That includes Michigan football commit Oliver Martin, Creighton basketball commit Rachael Saunders, Northwestern soccer commit Regan Steigleder, Iowa-bound Connor McCaffery, Patrick McCaffery, and Iowa State football commit Alex Kleinow.

But in reality, Liberty wasn’t built ten years ago and West High has been one of the most dominant high schools in Iowa. A decade of dominance has brought them almost 30 State championships. That decade is now over and Liberty opens next fall with longtime athletic director Scott Kibby running the new school and bringing many of West’s best young athletes with him.

The thing to think about is the talent pool over the next ten years. Obviously, with West High’s talent pool being almost cut in half, they will not be as dominant. Additionally, more open roster spots could open up the door for emerging underclassmen and others who could make a difference in the future. West High will probably have a few down years after losing so many potentially great athletes.

 Though it may not be good for the success of the teams, it will give more people a chance to play. That is what high school sports are supposed to be about. Overall, this shift from two high schools to three should be good. It will allow more people to participate in sports and arts, but for West High’s outstanding sports programs this could be the end of their dominance.