St. Mary Central Catholic dropping 11-man football

SANDUSKY — St. Mary Central Catholic High School will not field an 11-man football team this season, the Register has learned.School administrators met with the parents of SMCC football players Sunday night to provide an update on the program. The school is expected to make an official announcement today.SMCC likely will field an 8-man football team this season and pursue games against other small schools in Ohio and possibly Michigan. Panthers football coach Toby Notestine would not comment on the move Sunday night.The decision was prompted by a lack of players and will reverberate through the Sandusky Bay Conference River Division, which will be left with seven teams scrambling to replace SMCC on their schedules.The high school football season kicks off Aug. 30."It's unfortunate for the kids, St. Mary's alums and supporters," SBC executive secretary Gregg Hedden said. "That's been a very good situation with good football for years."It is possible that the Panthers' football program could return to the SBC in 2020 if it can dress enough players.Last season the Panthers had 32 players listed on their opening-day roster, including eight seniors. SMCC will not come close to that total this season.Eight-man football is a growing trend among small schools in Ohio and beyond. It is not sanctioned by the Ohio High School Athletic Association — which holds playoffs in seven 11-man divisions — but it is recognized in Michigan.Michigan's state athletic association lists 77 schools that play 8-man football, including one school that has a total enrollment of 302 students.The OHSAA's base enrollment figures, which reflect students in grades 9, 10 and 11 as of Oct. 31, 2018, show SMCC with 69 boys in those three grades.Three SBC River schools that play football have fewer boys than SMCC: Danbury (62), Tiffin Calvert (44) and Fremont St. Joseph CC (40).SMCC went 3-7 last year after going 2-8 in 2016 and 1-9 in 2017.The Panthers have made 11 playoff appearances, the last coming in 2015 when they finished 6-5.SMCC's best season was in 1990 when it lost 20-17 to St. Henry in the Division V (smallest classification) championship game.More than 1 million high school kids play football, according to the National Federation of High Schools. It remains the No. 1 high school sport, but its numbers have been decreasing for years. Aiden Fullam (72) leads St. Mary Central Catholic's football team onto the turf for a game last season at Strobel Field. Kresser was one of eight seniors on the 2018 SMCC team. St. Mary Central Catholic principal and former head coach Ryan Wikel addresses the Panthers after they defeated Danbury to win their last game of the 2018 season.