Based on the second semester count on Feb. 12, Mendon will move from Class C back to Class D for the 2014-15 sports season.
The Hornets boasted deep runs in Class C in both volleyball and girls basketball this year. Mendon’s volleyball squad advanced to the state semifinals for the second consecutive season (Class D in 2012) and the basketball team made it to the state quarterfinals for the first time in school history last month. 
“It’s very big for boys and girls basketball,” Mendon co-athletic director Glen Samson said. “There are good Class D teams out there; don’t get me wrong. But I don’t think there’s as much depth as you see in Class C. That works in our favor.”
In volleyball, Class D power Battle Creek St. Philip, which has won eight straight state titles, will again be a major hurdle.
“That’s a big deal because St. Phil does a good job of turning its roster over kind of like the Kentucky Wildcats,” Samson said.
In terms of football, Samson said there are benefits of a lower overall school classification because the Hornets typically play Class C schools. If in a down year Mendon is in a situation where qualifying for the playoffs comes down to points, having wins over schools with higher classifications will put it over the hump.
Mendon hasn’t had more than two losses in a season since 2006 (3-6).
“If we’re 5-4 we’ll probably make it because I don’t think there would be any Class D school that’s going to have more points than Mendon,” Samson explained.
Samson said Mendon is likely to bounce back and forth between classes for the foreseeable future.
“We have been on the line the last three years,” he said. “It should be a positive [moving back to Class D]. If we play hard and work hard, it should be positive for our programs.”