Coaches Organize To Save B-8 Meeting At Odessa First Step In 8-Man Football Game Plan
It wasn’t exactly an emergency meeting, but it was close.
About a dozen B-8 football coaches met here Friday afternoon to discuss the survival of the game they love. The game will continue - state rules guarantee that - but the coaches don’t want the game on lifesupport.
The concern was how many schools will be playing 8-man football after next season. Last fall, 24 schools played 8-man; after next fall’s enrollment count, that number could be as low as 15 for the 1997 season.
“I don’t know if there is any validity to win a state championship for 14 or 15 schools,” said Myron Kramer, longtime coach at Odessa, which won state titles in 1989 and 1993. Kramer organized the meeting, much as he spearheaded the fourth annual B-8 All-State football game that followed.
Besides the coaches, there were a few administrators and Mike Colebrese, executive director of the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association.
“If you don’t walk out of here with a plan, it won’t happen” Colebrese said. “If you don’t move now, it will be at least three years (before any changes can take place).”
Under the current setup, B schools - those with enrollments of 150 or less in grades 10 through 12 - are split into 8-man and 11-man divisions. To play 8-man, a school must not exceed 100 students in grades 9-12.
Of the 120 B schools, 54 played football last fall. Of the 30 that played 11-man, it is expected 16 will move up to Class A.
The WIAA handbook assures there will be a B-8 state championship, capping at least an eight-team playoff. In other sports, at least 24 schools must participate before there can be state playoffs.
“I know I’ll get laughed at,” said Joe Worsham, coach of statechampion Pateros, “but (8-man) is more fun for me and my kids. To be honest, it’s a better game than 11-man football. I love the game and I want to promote the game.”
A number of ideas were discussed, including having all B schools play 8-man football. Eventually, the group settled on three possible solutions to keep 8-man football viable:
Keep the 8-man enrollment maximum at 100 students, but change the enrollment count from grades 9-12 to 10-12.
Increase the maximum enrollment for 8-man participation, probably to 110-120, in grades 9-12.
Divide the number of B schools playing football in half, with the smallest half playing 8-man, although schools could opt up to play 11-man.
Because enrollment numbers play a big role in any school decision, a four-man committee will research the three proposals by polling schools in their areas and then present the information to all B schools at Gridiron Classic in December.
Dick Behrens of St. John-Endicott is coordinating the information gathering committee. Rob Clark of Quilcene, Worsham and Ron Washington of Inchelium, who coached the East team to a 23-6 victory Friday night, are also helping.
They hope the B schools, including those playing 11-man football, can settle on one plan to help the 8-man game survive. The plan would have to be presented in the form of an amendment for next spring’s WIAA representative assembly. An amendment has to be submitted by Jan. 10, according to Colbrese.
“I guarantee you, if we present a unified voice, it is going to pass,” said Behrens, a former 8-man coach and now a principal/athletic director and the District 9 representative on the WIAA executive board.
Wayne Dickey, coach of Touchet, the 1994 champion and runner-up last year, said, “The bottom line is, we want to keep B-8 football. If that means raising (the enrollment cap), so be it.
“But I hate to see us push the panic button and start moving that number around.”
, DataTimes