Philipsburg-Osceola forfeits last two

[billmurray]

Never seen anything like this year with the forfeits. https://pafootballnews.com/district6/philipsburg-osceola-to-forfeit-last-two-games/

[knowitall]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/syndicatio ... d.amp.html

[Crushersports]

Area schools moving all 9th graders to varsity was one of the dumbest things ever and I firmly believe it was one of the death blows. Along with too many sports options at small schools with not enough kids...period
Very few kids are physically and mentally prepared for varsity football as a 14-15 year old.

[dadw/2sons]

I couldn't agree more with the ninth grade movement. According to PIAA rules, ninth graders should have a choice to move to the Varsity level or stay at the Junior High level. When leagues take that decision away from the parents and athletes, it just isn't fair. To my knowledge football is the only sport that has leagues making that decision. To make a blanket rule that all ninth graders have to move up is detrimental to the undersized or emotionally  not ready athlete to move up. There are obviously exceptions where there are ninth graders who are ready for the varsity level and excel at that level. Check out #59 for the Tussey football team. He has started at offensive tackle from the beginning of the year. He should not have stayed down, but how many ninth graders who are forced to move up simply decide not to play because of this rule.  The leagues should not decide where their ninth athletes play. The PIAA is the guiding force of the state and they say the decision should be left up to the parent and their child.
P-O decided to forfeit their last 2 games to protect their ninth graders from playing at the varsity level. If that is the case why are they forced to move up in the first place?

[lhacbigfan]

They weren't forced to move up their 9th graders. Other teams in the Mountain League play Jr High games with 9th graders. 

[footballguy99]

Many 9th graders are brought up to have JV football.  They practice with varsity and some who are physically ready, play on Fridays. 
I believe it is better to have 3 levels of games (7-8 JH, JV, and Varsity) than it is to have JH and Varsity.  Most 9th graders who move up are able to learn the system and expectations and they are still able to play games week in and week out against competition they should matchup evenly with.  I don't think 9th graders need moved up in conferences with big schools.  If you are AA - AAAA you are more likely to be able to have a JV team without bringing up 9th graders.  Conferences like the Mountain and LHAC should not need freshmen up.  The ICC and WestPAC need to. 
It was only a few years ago that most teams had a 7th grade team, JH Team (and played some 8th grade games), JV Team, and a varsity team.  Those days seem to be gone at most places because youth football has started the process of kids playing earlier and earlier.  Kids are choosing to try sports earlier and they are choosing to then quit those sports before ever reaching the junior high level.  Check with wrestling and soccer on how well it goes to start having signups at Kindergarten.  Those two sports did it first.  Then baseball did it.  Now football does it.  The end result?  There are less kids than ever in those sports.  Check out some JH volleyball teams and JH track teams.  Those teams seem to have a lot of interested athletes because they can try something new that they have never been involved in from the time they were 6-7 years old.  Starting earlier means more kids end earlier. 

[footballguy99]

If you are bringing up 9th graders and not playing JV that is a problem for sure. Those schools are never going to get their numbers up. The kids joined the team because they want to play, not because they want to sit for three years and maybe start as a senior. If a school has grades 10-12 as their varsity team and can't play a JV schedule that is more understandable if 9th graders remain down and you play games at two levels (JH and Varsity). That is all some schools can legitimately handle.

[lhacbigfan]

Sounds like Bishop Carroll has also forfeited this week to Bellefonte. 

[billmurray]

Sounds like Bishop Carroll has also forfeited this week to Bellefonte. 

https://pafootballnews.com/district6/bishop-carroll-foreits-to-bellefonte/          Clearfield could also lose another game next week

[Aiks19]

Any chance of Mountain League giving Carroll the boot after this?


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