SMCC builds 8-man football schedule

SANDUSKY — It didn't take St. Mary Central Catholic long to build a schedule after it announced Monday that it will play 8-man football this season.The Panthers will play their 2019 season opener three hours away in Zanesville — east of Columbus — on Aug. 30 against Bishop Rosecrans.SMCC has home-and-home series with Rosecrans and Holgate, a northwest Ohio schools that also dropped 11-man ball.The Panthers have one game scheduled against Toledo Christian and will end their season in Week 10 against Danbury. The Lakers, who play in the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division, plan to play nine 11-man games before finishing the season against SMCC.SMCC coach Toby Notestine also has a tentative agreement to play Ashtabula St. John twice this season."If we get eight games I'll be happy," Notestine said.The Panthers coach said that a school in Flint, Mich., inquired about SMCC traveling to Michigan, but he declined that offer.Notestine welcomed 17 players to the season's first practice Thursday at Zierolf Field. He said the SMCC community has been supportive of the decision to play 8-man football."Even Father Phil said the elderly ladies at church thought it was a good idea," Notestine said. "The alumni are disappointed — that's understandable —but they've been supportive of the kids."Notestine said that some of the chatter on social media has not been so kind, but he wants to stay on the high road."We're not going to say anything disparaging," he said. "If you're going to get mad every time someone says something about you, you're going to have a tough time in life."SMCC had 32 players on its roster last year, including eight juniors, but only four seniors will be playing this year. Vinny Will, a talented quarterback, would've made it five, but he's out for the season with a shoulder injury he sustained playing baseball this summer for Post 83. Notestine said Will still wants to be part of the team.The veteran coach lauded the players who reported to the first practice and wants to give them a positive experience this season."Kids make decisions for different reasons and I'm fine with that," he said about the low numbers. "It's hard work. You gotta want to be out here."The fields the Panthers will play on will be the standard 100 yards in length but only 40 yards wide. The sidelines will be at about the bottom of the numbers marking the yard lines."It's a huge learning curve to see how it affects the game," he said.In 8-man football, five players must be on the line of scrimmage as opposed to seven in 11-man football.SMCC's opponent in the season finale — which will serve as Senior Night and homecoming — is a former SBC rival also struggling with low numbers. Danbury will start its season with 22 players.Danbury athletic director and football coach Keith Mora reached out to Notestine earlier this week to set their game. Mora said Monday at SBC Media Day that many small schools are facing similar issues."This calls for a longer conversation about 8-man football," he said. "We've had meetings about it and we're willing to talk to other schools about it. I do think it will happen in Ohio."It's a little goofy that Ohio, being one of the premier states for football, isn't looking at this progressively."Michigan has sponsored 8-man football since 2011 and has 77 teams playing this year. Tim Streid, senior director of communications for the Ohio High School Athletic Association, said the OHSAA has been asked about the possibility of sanctioning 8-man football. He thinks about a dozen Ohio high schools are fielding 8-man teams this fall."There would have to be a lot more teams for us to consider that," Streid said.According to the OHSAA, 47,955 Ohio teens played high school football in 2010. By 2017 that number had dropped to 42,979. "There's no doubt we have fewer kids playing now, but there are a lot of reasons for that," said Streid, who cited specialization, pay-to-play trends and the desire by students to work part-time jobs. "Football in Ohio is still very strong, though."Concerns about the potential effects of concussions also have played a role in a decrease in football participation nationally.Notestine wants the sport to be strong again at SMCC and is confident the school will return to traditional football next year."If these kids play (next year), we have good numbers in junior high," he said. "I don't see why we wouldn't be at 11-man next year."——-SMCC 2019 football scheduleAug. 30 — at Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans, 7 p.m.Sept. 6 — at Toledo Christian, 7 p.m.Sept. 13 — Ashtabula St. John, 7 p.m.*Sept. 20 — at Holgate, 7 p.m.Oct. 5 — Ashtabula St. John, 7 p.m.*Oct. 12 — Holgate, 7 p.m.Oct. 26 — Zanesville Bishop Rosecrans, 7 p.m.Nov. 2 — Danbury (Senior Night, Homecoming), 7 p.m.* TentativeSt. Mary Central Catholic has a proud football tradition, but low participation numbers will force the Panthers to compete in 8-man football this season.