[Beetle01]

I think you hit the nail on the head in this one.

It has dropped the numbers. One of the things I think that has kept Russell as a traditional power is those numbers. For a school Russell's size they have usually had more quality players and more depth than most schools their size. This was a direct result of alot of kids getting alot of playing time in JFL.

Right now not as many kids are playing and it is begining to be felt at the high school level. The JFL needs reevaluate what it is there for and go back to four teams with more players learning and being developed. They may not all be starters or even play much but it does provide alot of depth for special teams and backups later on down the road.

I'm not so sure about back to 4 teams. I don't think they even have the numbers for that. I could see 2 teams from each grade possibly. I think that would maybe be the best fit, keep numbers up, they can all still practice together, but they play different schedules. Or maybe just numbers are low, times have changed. It is a lot easier to stay home and play xbox than goto football practice every day. As far as talent goes, I think the number of talented players will stay the same, the bench will be shorter. The talented athletic kids will still be out there.