Wyopreps.com is reporting that Fort Washakie won’t field its football program this fall. The school had about a dozen players show interest last spring but only one showed up for the first practice.
That leaves eight teams playing six-man. And never mind the eight open dates that For Washakie leaves for the eight remaining participating schools. This is not a good sign for the sport, period.
Originally, six-man was the solution. Remember that? Five existing teams and five new teams joining together to form something new, unique and exciting. Now, after Rock River scrapped its plans in April and Fort Washakie joining the Longhorns this week, Snake River, Kaycee and Farson are the lone remaining schools starting up their programs this fall.
And now, the onus is on the eight remaining schools — and especially the three newbies — to keep six-man alive for at least the next two years.
It’s disheartening to see two programs die before they could even play one game. And it’s certainly unprecedented.
But for six-man to thrive, some other small schools are going to have to join them.
None of the other football-less schools (Arapaho Charter, Arvada-Clearmont, Chugwater, Encampment, Glendo and St. Stephens) have even hinted interest at starting a program. That means some of the other schools now playing 11-man will have to go down to six-man.
We could speculate all day as to what schools might benefit from six-man, but right now that does little to help. Unfortunately, until at least the next reclassification cycle, the eight survivors have the responsibility to see the sport through. If this sport is destined to grow in this state, it not only has to survive these first two years — it has to prove to other schools that it’s worth the effort.
And in 10 years, when we look back on the 2009 season, what will we see? The beginning of something fun, unique and special or the impetus of frustration, alienation and eventual disintegration?
That’s up to the remaining eight schools to decide.
It’s a position Rock River and Fort Washakie have forced upon them.
–patrick
Any six man scores?