Football teams struggling with low numbers
Jason Pane appreciates high school football - and all that comes with it - as much as anyone. The school pep rallies, the pregame excitement, Friday night lights, the teamwork involved, the drama of a closely played game and the sense of community the sport creates.
Jason Pane appreciates high school football - and all that comes with it - as much as anyone.
The school pep rallies, the pregame excitement, Friday night lights, the teamwork involved, the drama of a closely played game and the sense of community the sport creates.
So it was with reluctance that Pane, the athletic director at Springfield (Montgomery County), announced on Aug. 30 that the school was cancelling its varsity season due to a lack of numbers and overall experience.
In South Jersey, coaches and players at small schools such as Wildwood and Clayton can empathize. Clayton had to curtail its season in 2009 due to a lack of players, and Wildwood is fielding a team of about 25 this season.
Springfield, a PIAA Class 3A program, had about 32 players on its varsity roster at the start of training camp. That number had dropped to the low 20s for its Aug. 26 opener against Octorara. The young Spartans suffered a 47-20 defeat.
"It was the safest and most responsible decision we could make," Pane said. "We have an obligation to families to protect their children."
Pane played football at perennial power North Penn in the mid-1990s. The Knights have a pair of solid feeder programs: the North Penn Squires and the Lansdale Cannoneers.
Springfield draws some of its players from St. Genevieve's CYO program but nowhere near enough to fully replenish its program.
"I don't have a way to magically establish a youth program," Pane said.
The Spartans' roster total was in the low 30s last season. "When one kid leaves our program or someone gets hurt, it hits us hard," Pane said.
Springfield is one of many area schools struggling because of low numbers, depth issues, and inexperienced players seeing varsity action.
Wildwood, the smallest public school in New Jersey that fields a football team, usually struggles with low numbers. Especially in the summer.
"So many of our kids work down here," Warriors first-year coach Ken Loomis said. "They're working on the boardwalk. They're waiters at restaurants. Once we get past Labor Day, it's much better."
Loomis said there were practices this summer when he had fewer than 10 players on the field. Wildwood was not able to participate in any scrimmages with opposing teams.
But Loomis, who was an assistant coach at Paul VI the last five years, said he expected to have "20 to 25" players in uniform for Friday night's opener against Schalick.
Strawberry Mansion, Thomas Edison and High School of the Future are among the Philadelphia Public League squads facing the problem. Edison forfeited its game last week against Olney due to a shortage of players.
Despite having just 15 players in uniform, Mansion managed a 12-7 win at Morrisville last week.
"Our big thing is the future," Mansion boss Steve Quigley said. "Because right now, we have 11 seniors on the team. It's simple math: 15 kids [currently]. That leaves me with four for next year. We're hoping to add a couple of younger guys."
Future, with just 15 players, canceled a scrimmage against Bonner-Prendergast. As of last week, Future had 30 players who turned in physical exam forms.
Another Public League team, George Washington, dressed only 23 players in its 56-13, season-opening loss to Bishop Shanahan.
Ken Geiser, Washington's athletic director, said the Eagles had 30 or so players in last week's 42-6 setback against Springside Chestnut Hill.
Washington, a Class 6A program, had about 45 players last season. "The days of having 60 varsity players and 60 [junior varsity] players are over," Geiser said.
Clayton is another South Jersey squad dealing with low numbers, although the Clippers are riding high after going 9-3 and making the South Jersey Group 1 final last year.
Clayton, which has 301 students in grades 9 through 11, played an abbreviated, seven-game schedule in 2009 because of a small roster.
"Winning helps a lot, and we've been able to build up some excitement in the town," Clayton coach Marvin Tucker said.
Loomis said he thought Wildwood would "be OK" this season with more players perhaps joining the roster as word spreads through the hallways and families get more situated.
"This is small-town football," Loomis said. "It's something we go through. But the kids are hanging in there, working hard, and anxious to play their first game."
Staff writers Aaron Carter and Phil Anastasia contributed to this article.
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