Medina is making the switch to 8 man football

It has been discussed and considered for several years but now the low participation numbers have reached a point where Medina High has made the decision to switch from 11 man to 8 man football.

“We had some long, hard conversations about it and it certainly was not an easy decision to make but it is the most responsible decision to make,” said Medina football Coach and Athletic Director Eric Valley.

“It is more about player safety,” said Valley. “In a best case scenario we would have 16 to 18 kids back next fall and we don’t feel that is enough to keep 11 man afloat. No one likes to make this move. I feel awful about it but for the sake of player safety it is the most responsible thing to do. We don’t want to bring kids up to play varsity who are not ready. Our goal is to get out of it as quickly as possible so we can return to 11 man.”

This past fall Medina fielded modified (grades 7-9) and varsity (10-12) but due to the low numbers several freshmen were moved up to the varsity squad. In an effort to help the process of getting back to 11 man Valley is looking to reinstate a JV level 11 man team this fall.

The decision comes after a very successful period on the gridiron for Medina which has won two Section VI Class C championships and five straight C North Division titles over the past five years.

The decision will also end Medina’s 125 year old plus football rivalry with Albion and also will leave the Mustangs with very few nearby 8 man opponents.

This past fall there were only two 8 man teams in Section VI and they were both from the Southern Tier – Frewsburg and Allegany-Limestone. The only close by 8 man teams are Holley and Pembroke which both compete in Section V.

“We’re working to keep our football team going and strong so hopefully this is only temporary,” said Superintendent Mark Kruzynski. “Our varsity numbers are low right now but our modified numbers are pretty good so hopefully this will only be for a year or two.”