Any updates on the numbers at your school? Low numbers have some schools looking for 4-6 JV games and some Varsity games to try and fill the schedule.
Schools Without a Varsity or JV?
- Thread starter bigtime_87
- Start date
I dont know the name of the conference, but the one with Mtn. Heritage and Madison decided to follow the SMC model for JV due to low numbers.
Yep the Western Highlands went to a junior high/varsity model. Seemed to help numbers, Mitchell has about 35 on each team.
I don't think Union will have a football team this season. I seen where teams in their conference has dropped them from their schedule.
I think this is the perfect time for the NCHSAA to bring back 8-man football for some of the small teams in 1A. I think Rosman and Madison would benefit from it, and I think teams like Union, Mattamuskeet, Columbia, Cape Hatteras, and maybe the Halifax County teams would benefit from it in the East.
Alleghany won't have a jv team this year. 26 players tonight at scrimmage against West stokes. A lot of them jv players
I heard South Davidson is in really dire straights with their numbers right now. They were supposed to be at our scrimmage on Friday night but they pulled out. Major bummer; I've always wanted to see them play even though how they are.
It really would be perfect! It would make the smaller schools have some hope and be competitive. I'd love to see Cape Hattaras play again; one of the most beautiful stadiums in NC.
Not gonna lie I did some research 2 years ago and several of my area's schools started in the late 30's with an 8 man league. Mount Airy and Elkin played full 11 man but the smaller schools pre merging had to do 8 man. It was Franklin and Flat Rock (both merged to become North Surry,) Dobson (Surry Central,) Yadkinville and Courtney ( merged to make Forbush,) and Boonville (Starmount,) They played from 1938 to 1941 and oddly Dobson was the top team. Boonville was good too. The league died due to WW2 but after the war ended they started 11 man ball by the end of the 40's.
8 man ball does have a history in NC; just hope the NCHSAA finds a way to use it to coexist with 11 man ball.
Add Beulah as the 3rd high school that merged with Franklin and Flat Rock to become North Surry.
Last edited:
And Lowgap/White Plains. Those were really small though.
We had quite a few feeder schools and so did Forbush. That's why we were both big for a while. The area's population is in flux now sadly plus all the alternate schools. That new Surry county online only school's gonna hurt everyone before it's all done.
Same I'm curious too. Johnson was kinda bleak about it when we 7 on 7'ed them.
There is a logistical issue to playing 7-9 together. Are you busing the 7th & 8th graders up to the HS every day or are you busing the 9th graders down to the middle school? It is an added expense that has to be factored in.
For a lot of the SMC it works well because they're already on the same campus. But there are other logistical issues--non-conference scheduling and not being able to move freshmen back to JV if they've been up to varsity are a couple. But overall it works out best for a small school.
Mitchells logistics are no different than they were after the 2 middle school teams combined. They would rotate practices between Spruce Pine and Bakersville, and bus the kids on way or the other. Picking up the 9th graders for practice is no problem, since the high school is right in between the 2. Yancey county isn't a problem, seeing as their 2 middle schools and the high school are within a 10 minute bus ride to each other. Avery is also a short bus ride between the middle and high schools. I like the system. It seems like it has helped Mitchell's numbers some, and it helps keep the exceptional, but underdeveloped freshmen in their respective league.
Robbinsville high and 7th/8th graders are in the same building. The practice field is also at the high school. Our main field is at the elementary.
In the 1A/2A CCC as of yesterday I was told that East Davidson, Lexington, S Davidson and N Rowan will not field a JV team. ED always has a JV team and has 800+ kids in the school. SD is trying to piece together a varsity team and struggling to do so. As for the mountain leagues doing the 7th-9th grade JV that makes sense due to the population and location. The bigger county schools all across the state probably couldn't make that work logistically and financially due to busing cost. And most of them have middle school football that is 7th-8th grade.
More schools seem to not befielding JV teams even on the 3A and 4A levels. I know Southern Lee, a 3A school, did not field a JV team last spring, and only had 30 players suit up on varsity. I still remember Chatham Central not fielding teams in 90s. And, in the late 70s, then 2A North Moore played an "independent schedule." Now, 3A Lake Norman Charter and 4A East Chapel HIll are fielding teams, just not playing conference schedules. Eight-man football may be coming to a neighborhood near you ...