[FBALL]

FBALL, you are talking in recent years when you talk about Russell never fielding a middle school team aren't you?? Russell did field a middle school team in the mid-70's...Dave Collins was the coach...Not sure when that ended but we definitely had a school team...

I only brought that up to say that we did have a school team once upon a time...I don't have a dog in this fight but i do know we need to do something to reverse the downward cycle we are currently in...I know that you go through ups and downs and our #'s aren't what they once were but hopefully we will see a change on the horizon...The JFL format has worked in the past so its not like we are going into uncharted waters...Our best football teams in the last decade were a product of the system we are returning to so we will see what happens...

OK. The school system has not fielded a middle school team in over three decades.

As you noted this is not something radical . It is simply a return to something that has been very successful in the past. The JFL only went to middle school teams due to a desperate situation following the departure of Ashland Oil's coorperate offices from the area.

Anybody that is close to the football program at Russell can tell that the number of kids that stick with football all the way to the high school level has dropped. I don't think anyone would deny that.