Maplewood-Richmond Heights cancels football due to lack of interest
The football program at Maplewood-Richmond Heights High School has been canceled for the upcoming school year due to lack of interest.
The School Board approved the plan after two years of low student interest — there were less than a dozen players signed up for the fall 2015 season, according to district officials. The Missouri State High School Activities Association recommends a minimum of 23 players on the roster.
“This was a very difficult and emotional decision for the District to make, but we know it’s in the best interest of our students,” Board President Nelson Mitten said in a news release.
“Even if we were able to reach 23 players, our profound concern for student safety would still be our primary focus. Just last season the team endured multiple injuries from much larger opponents and we had to forfeit one game because we did not have enough healthy players.”
The popularity of other teams, such as soccer and cross county that were seeing record numbers, were taking potential players away from football, officials said.
The number of students at the high school is a factor, too. Projected enrollment is 284 for the coming school year, with 146 boys. While enrollment continues to grow in the lower grades, the students in the freshman, sophomore, junior and senior classes have always been in smaller classes, district spokesman Brian Adkisson said.
Mitten said the board will continue to monitor student interest in football and could rebuild the program.
The district is reviewing options to move the annual homecoming activities to another sport or create a new event.
Romelle Person, grew up with football when his brother was a standout player back in 2002.
Person was on the sidelines as a water boy, and when he became a freshman, joined the team. He was signed up to play this fall.
“I’m disappointed. I started football when I was 6 years old. It’s always been my favorite sport,” said Person, who was the Class 1 wrestling state champion in his weight class in February. “It’s just sad to hear I’m not going to play my senior year.”
The Blue Devils are coming off a 3-7 season and went 4-16 the last two years.
But between 2007-11, the Blue Devils went 59-9, won four district championships, made three Class 2 state semifinal appearances and were the 2010 state runner-up. Maplewood finished the 2010 season with a 14-1 record, losing only in the title game.
In 2012, Maplewood reached the state quarterfinals and finished 11-3.
