Numbers crunch. That’s a phrase heard a lot these days. Everybody is crunching numbers.
Schools are crunching numbers.
Humboldt High School’s football program is under the numbers crunch. Rumors have been swirling around the area about the not so big numbers expected out for the Cubs’ 2011 football season.
According to Humboldt USD 258 Superintendent of Schools K.B. Criss and Cub head football coach Mike Miller, it all boils down to “how many kids show up Monday.” Monday is the start of Kansas high school fall sports practices.
It was out there that without 20 players Humboldt would not play football in 2011. Then it was Humboldt is not play varsity football in 2011 but going with six junior varsity games because of numbers and most signed up are freshmen.
“There have been no decisions made. We’re going to do what is best for our kids,” Criss told the Register Wednesday. “If we have 15 kids and 10 are freshmen, we have to look at this.”
Criss said he believes there are 19 or 20 kids out right now. “We’ll know more on Monday.”
Humboldt had just 19 kids on the 2007 football team that made it to the semifinals of the Class 2-1A playoffs.
Miller said there have been discussions about options.
“But as far as I’m concerned we’re going to play varsity football. I’m on the recruiting trail right now to get more kids out,” Miller said.
So it is up to the Humboldt High students. The Register heard from several sources one of the issues at Humboldt is a fall baseball league pulling away athletes who did play football last year but are opting to play baseball this fall.
That’s unfortunate. In small communities, the activity pool of students is not that deep and schools need all who can to participate not just in athletics but all activities.
The Register was informed this week that Crest High was notified by Miami R-1 High School of Amoret, Mo., will not be fielding an eight-man football team in 2011. Crest was to have played Miami R-1 on Sept. 16 and Marmaton Valley High had Miami R-1 on Sept. 9.
Crest has filled its spot with a home game against Veritas of Lawrence. As of Friday, there was no word that Marmaton Valley had found a replacement team for the second week of the season.
Also falling under the numbers crunch for 2011 was the Yates Center High cross country program.
But on the flip side, Uniontown High added cross country to its fall sports lineup.
The Register’s annual high school fall sports preview special section will come out on Aug. 30.
Cub football under numbers crunch
