By Mark Carpenter – 

I have never approached the subject on these pages, but have had many conversations out in the public about it and I have decided that it’s time. I’m not trying to step on anyone’s toes or burst anyone’s balloon, but it is time for football to be part of all four high schools here in Adams County. It’s time to make it official and get it done.
Now I don’t claim to be an expert on the inner workings of a school system, though I do have first-hand knowledge on how politics is part of many decisions, be that right or wrong, usually wrong. I don’t actually care what the decision-making process here involves but one “yes” vote that needs to be taken involves football.
One only need look no further than the West Union football program to see my point. Starting from the bottom up, Scott McFarland and his “volunteers” have raised all the money and put together a program that now involves over 100 kids. Now, last time I checked, schools were supposed to be all about what is best for the kids, so a program that keeps 100 young people involved seems to me to be a good idea. Now, the programs are growing in North Adams and Peebles, so like I said, it’s time.
Every winter we see the rivalries between county schools play out on the basketball court in front of capacity crowds filled with school spirit. Wouldn’t it be great to see that same thing on Friday nights in the fall? It happened 40 years ago and many of those athletes and cheerleaders are still living here in the county and have many fond memories of those days. Why not give the students today that same opportunity?
I know the first argument against sanctioning football is the cost involved. Well, if a bunch of volunteers can raise enough to put elementary, junior high, and high school teams on the field, seems that a school district could do the same? I know, education comes first, but those young men on the gridiron are getting a unique addition to their educational experience, just like any high school athlete would, they just don’t have the support of the school district, yet. It’s time.
I don’t pretend to know the inner workings of the ACOVSD Board of Education, in fact I can only recall one conversation with a board member and that didn’t go real well. I know that Superintendent Seas comes from a school that was a football powerhouse in Ohio, so he has seen first-hand the excitement of Friday Night Lights. Just as many of you, I have heard the rumblings out there about a possible turnover on the Board to people who support football, but that will be in the hands of the voters at some later date. Until then, all of the proponents of football can just keep on working hard towards their goal.
What good cannot come from a program that can involve so many kids in the school district, especially kids who may not participate in any other sport or extracurricular? I saw that first-hand when I visited Peebles football last week and only saw a couple of faces out there that I recognized, which is a good thing. More kids involved=good thing.
When I was in high school, there was no football where I came from, but we always heard talk of the games going on in Adams County (just aged myself there). It’s time to bring that football spirit back again, make Friday nights exciting for all four schools, stir up those rivalries, and make it tough for a sportswriter to decide which game he is going to cover.
I know there are pros and cons to this whole decision and I have only talked about the pros, which is actually the only side I have heard about. The whole football decision is one of those that will be a “wait and see” but in my humble