Fielding full teams for the fall sports at the three area high schools and their four feeder schools has been an ever-growing challenge in Sedona and the Verde Valley.
But this season, the problem of participation is hitting home hard in tackle football, where even the area’s largest high school, Mingus Union High School, has had struggles scheduling junior varsity games.
“We’ve had to play more sophomores and juniors than I’ve ever seen,” said long-time Marauders head football coach Bob Young prior to the final home football game for his 12 seniors, whom he called “survivors.”
“When these guys were freshmen, we had over 30” in their class playing for MUHS, Young said Oct. 28. “Now we’re down to 12.”
A manageable depth problem for a program deep enough to be Division III in the Arizona Interscholastic Association? Perhaps, in spite of only 26 returning players.
But in Sedona, unlike in Camp Verde or Cottonwood, there is no football being played below the high school level. At all. And I think concerns over concussions are at least one reason why.
For the full story, please see the Wednesday, Nov. 5, issue of the Camp Verde Journal and Cottonwood Journal Extra.
