Agreeing for the most part...but 12-13 on a team means you're a few injuries/disciplinary issues from not having enough to field a team. I'd think you'd need 15 at minimum to have a team.187xovr;1747593 wrote:Smithville has been very smart IMO when it comes to handling their program the past few years. They are probably the only Wayne County school other than Wooster who has fielded a freshmen team this year and last year. They have had to put together a freshmen schedule that is much different than a normal Smithville schedule since most teams in their conference didn't field a freshmen team. While this is becoming increasingly difficult to pull off with the lower numbers at other schools, the benefits to having a freshmen team are huge. First, the players get to play against kids their own age. Most freshmen are not physically ready to play JV football right off the bat. Also, many freshmen probably aren't mentally and/or physically ready for the more demanding practices/training that the JV and varsity teams have. Orrville made it a point to have a freshmen team this year as well. I look for their numbers to keep increasing as long as that option is there. You are always going to lose some kids as each year goes by, but not having a freshmen team seems to expedite that process quite a bit. I think schools with 12-13 frosh should do everything they can to play a freshmen schedule.
Wonder if there will be a push for 8-man football for schools at the D-5 through D-7 level? Or perhaps middle school through freshman ball is 8-man football?
