Rockets set to launch in new direction


OKAWVILLE — After many, many years as an independent, the Okawville Rockets will soon have a conference home. The Okawville school board approved late last week to accept an invitation to join the Cahokia Conference, starting either in 2021-22 or 2022-23.

Okawville was one of five schools the Cahokia invited with the goal of making an 18-team, 3-tiered conference, joining Chester, Sparta, Roxana, and East Alton/Wood River as invitees. Roxana and Okawville have already accepted. Chester announced Friday that pending board approval later this month, the Yellow Jackets will be leaving the Black Diamond Conference to join the Cahokia. EAWR will have its board meeting Tuesday night to decide, with Sparta’s meeting set for later this month.

The Rockets would be in the middle division. Since Okawville is the only school in the middle that doesn’t play football, Dupo from the small division will be the sixth football team.

Okawville Athletic Director Jon Kraus joined Darren Kinnard to talk about the decision to join the Cahokia Conference.