There’s no disputing what America’s most popular spectator sport is. But on high school football fields across the country and in New York state, the number of young players has seen a steady decline. It’s forced some schools to get creative in order to field a team with enough players to play.
Will Prince has coached football for years. In recent seasons, the game he coaches has evolved out of necessity.
“To me, with football, it's learning how to face adversity,” said Prince. “You're in a battle every 30 seconds. It's a physical battle, and that can get aggravating. It can get you upset when you're on the downside of that. You got to learn how to deal with it.”
On the football field at Holley High School in Orleans County, Prince has a big job. It’s a small school — with a small team.
“We're 180 pounds across the front,” he said. “And that causes a lot of problems sometimes.”
The offensive line isn’t the only size issue. Fielding a full team to compete has been a big issue in recent years.
“It's a huge struggle,” he said. “We never thought there would ever be a day you had to beg kids to play football.”
Holley is one of seven Section Five schools to play eight-man football, a game the Hawks began playing in 2018. Junior Destin Kuyal plays quarterback and linebacker. He says a lot of his friends work, or have interests other than football.
“They never played sports,” said Kuyal. "[They've] never been on a team [and] don't know what it’s like.”
Coach Prince says there are other reasons, like the hard work and commitment needed to play. There are two a days in August and the game brings a physical pounding.
And football isn’t the only sport to suffer a lack of players.
“It's been an ongoing thing with small school sports,” said Prince. “We've had our troubles. It’s tough to get kids out.”
This year, the Hawks are not just from Holley. There are Tigers, from Lyndonville, about 25 miles to the west. Five Lyndonville players have joined this combined team, including senior Jacob Pitcher, who’s playing for his third combined team in three years.
“My heart breaks for him because football is a great sport,” said Prince.
It’s a half hour ride each day, each way — from Lyndonville to Holley.
“It’s difficult because coming up all this way and just meeting all bunch of new people, I don't like to meet a lot of new people,” said Pitcher. “I don't talk a lot, so it's hard. Not fun.”
Playing makes it all worthwhile. And the Holley student-athletes welcome the help.
“Oh, it’s good,” said Kuyal. “They're helping us on both sides of the ball.”
There are a total of 43 eight-man high school football teams playing in New York state this fall. According to the New York State Public High School Athletic Association, 11 of the teams are comprised of athletes from two or more schools.
Coach Prince says he’s trying to build the program back to its glory days of 11-man football. But it takes time.
“Kids are out here trying hard every day,” he said. “And the people need to understand that Rome wasn't built in a day.“
Success takes hard work and sacrifice. It’s a big job, but one worth playing for.
“There has been success here, and it can happen,” said Prince. “That's what every fall I'm digging, whatever I can dig up to try to make it that again.“