Northern 8 announces addition of St. Mary CC football

St. Mary Central Catholic announced earlier this summer that it was staying in 8-man football. On Monday, the Panthers' next puzzle piece fell into place. The Northern 8 Conference announced that SMCC has signed on to play in the league for the 2021 and 2022 seasons. "The future is bright for 8-man football in Ohio, and the Northern 8 Conference would be very happy to include St. Mary Central Catholic High School as a member and pioneer for the opportunities ahead," Northern 8 commissioner Joel Miller said in a news release. It was unclear whether the two-year agreement was mandated by the Northern 8. Miller could not be reached for comment Monday night. SMCC, which will play its third straight season in 8-man, is holding out hope that it can return to the 11-man game in 2023. "There's no crystal ball," SMCC coach Toby Hammond said. "We thought we were going to be 11-man this year. You hope to get kids out. I guess I haven't done a good enough job recruiting the hallways." The Panthers went 2-6 last season. They'll play their 2021 season opener on Saturday, August 28 at Holgate. "Winning games would help us get kids out for football," Hammond said. The Northern 8 launched its conference last year. SMCC will join Danbury, Holgate, Stryker and Toledo Christian in the northwest Ohio league. The Panthers announced in June that they planned to reach out to the 8-man league. The OHSAA does not sanction 8-man football, although momentum for the game has picked up in recent years. "We are excited to become a member of the Northern 8," SMCC principal Ryan Wikel said in a news release. "Over the past two seasons, we were able to compete against the other league members and look forward to continuing to grow the positive relationships we have started. "The Northern 8 Conference gives SMCC football players a chance to compete for a league title and earn postseason awards for their efforts, which is exciting for our student-athletes." The Northern 8 extended the invitation to SMCC on June 18 and the downtown Sandusky Catholic school officially accepted at a league meeting June 29. The Panthers have a nine-game schedule with three home games. They're trying to secure a fourth home contest, Hammond said. SMCC's home opener is against Tri-State (Indiana). That game is scheduled for 2 p.m. September 11 at Strobel Field. The Panthers are scheduled to play nearby Danbury twice: September 18 at home and October 15 at Biro Field. Fall sports practices begin August 1. "We learned a lot about 8-man last year," Hammond said. "That will hopefully help us this year."