Its a GO for Garinger
- Thread starter S2V2
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On Tuesday, Garinger High School football coach Shon Galloway told The Observer that the Wildcats would not have a varsity football team, citing a lack of experience and a lack of numbers.
That changed about a day later.
Garinger athletic director Art Malorzo told The Observer on Thursday that the school has reversed its earlier decision and would field a varsity football team this season.
The Wildcats will begin the season Friday, Aug. 20, against Harding.
“We are back to playing a varsity schedule,” Malorzo said. “We’ll move forward with the team we have.”
Marorzo said he couldn’t comment much beyond that, saying Garinger would only field a varsity team.
Efforts to reach Galloway on Thursday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Earlier this week, Galloway told The Observer that a big part of the reason the Wildcats decided to play junior varsity only was because he only had 28 players and 21 of them were freshmen or sophomores who had no or very little playing experience.
Garinger has two seniors and N.C. High School Athletic Association spokesperson James Alverson told The Observer that the NCHSAA does not have a rule prohibiting seniors from playing junior varsity, and that if it chose to do so, Garinger could play junior varsity only with those seniors.
In Orange County, Cedar Ridge High has announced it would not have a varsity team, after losing several returning players to transfers.
At Garinger, Galloway is Garinger’s 12th coach in 10 years and will try to rebuild a program that has had two winning seasons since 1995. Last spring, Garinger was 0-7 and was outscored 309-14.
That changed about a day later.
Garinger athletic director Art Malorzo told The Observer on Thursday that the school has reversed its earlier decision and would field a varsity football team this season.
The Wildcats will begin the season Friday, Aug. 20, against Harding.
“We are back to playing a varsity schedule,” Malorzo said. “We’ll move forward with the team we have.”
Marorzo said he couldn’t comment much beyond that, saying Garinger would only field a varsity team.
Efforts to reach Galloway on Thursday afternoon were unsuccessful.
Earlier this week, Galloway told The Observer that a big part of the reason the Wildcats decided to play junior varsity only was because he only had 28 players and 21 of them were freshmen or sophomores who had no or very little playing experience.
Garinger has two seniors and N.C. High School Athletic Association spokesperson James Alverson told The Observer that the NCHSAA does not have a rule prohibiting seniors from playing junior varsity, and that if it chose to do so, Garinger could play junior varsity only with those seniors.
In Orange County, Cedar Ridge High has announced it would not have a varsity team, after losing several returning players to transfers.
At Garinger, Galloway is Garinger’s 12th coach in 10 years and will try to rebuild a program that has had two winning seasons since 1995. Last spring, Garinger was 0-7 and was outscored 309-14.
I personally DONT like this, Why put it out there that Garinger was going just be JV only then change it the day next? I wonder if they are forcing the coaches hand or did the player talk the school n coaches into letting them play , I mean I’m happy for them to play but With 28 players n with 21 of them FR/So I don’t see the benefit of playing varsity this season imo
Makes you wonder, doesn't it? I wouldn't be shocked if the powers-that-be refused to play coaching stipends or something to that effect as a method for forcing their hand.
Looks like Coach Galloway had a great plan to play only JV build confidence in those Frosh/Soph and few Seniors then build to a possible Varsity team for next year being able to market the development aspect of the program to kids watching the team in the fall. To be frank this looks like just a lot of the same dysfunctional leadership at Garinger. They could not have gotten a better man to try and build this program if this is what he has to deal with I do not see him being there an extended period. Really sad for the kids......
May have something to do with the other cms conference teams scrambling to get back to 10 games this late. They weren't going to be able to get a forfeit so it could hurt for the playoffs.
Dont blame Garinger leadership. Not fair. Statements like that is what hurt Garinger. Simply put it messed the schedule up for a varsity team to scratch from the schedule this late in the game. Teams want that homecoming game on the schedule........SMH. Some will say look at Cedar Ridge. Their issue was only having 12-15 kids, and they had cancelled seasons already previously. Garinger appears to have numbers to compete but are super young. Great plan to do JV only, but appears Garinger was not allowed to do so.......
I get that this decision solves the other conf teams problems. I dont understand how this solves Garingers problem. Its the same milk run they have been doing forever right?? So the net result is the hire a great HC and he quits in a year because his solution to the problem gets voted down by someone.
Agree with JV only is the best option. Its actually a great idea. Just saying I dont think Garinger admin(AD, coach, principal) had much say in the reversal of this decision to play. Think the wolves really dont care, they just want fresh meat on the sked, and to stat ***** Garinger, because in their minds its just Garinger....
No way Galloway woke up one morning and made this decision unilaterally.
If there was fault here in his decision it did come very late.
CMS forced this move. Period.
Going to a JV only schedule and allowing the few seniors to play JV would have been a big win for the program going forward.
Going to a JV only schedule and allowing the few seniors to play JV would have been a big win for the program going forward.
Correct, didnt want to say it but this is CMS decision, and the other schools too as they wanted Garinger to play no matter how bad they beat them They just want the stats/practice, and win and not have to find a game this late in the season.
Such a terrible decision and the reality is your gonna be scrambling anyways because Covid is gonna make this a mess. Already seeing it in these scrimmages.
Maybe it is something we are all missing here. Bottom line it is too late in the game to announce you will not have a varsity team. JV is one thing, but varsity is another. So maybe the other coaches have agreed to play most of their 8 quarter players and sophomores on Fridays against Garinger, this will solve everyone's problem.
I see in Oregon - 1 school only had 19 total player try out for football , they will not have football this yr - It’s sad to see the drop in #s across the nation in athletics