Lopez football OK’d, but some voice concern

Lopez will have a football team.

By a 3-2 vote, the school board approved eight-man football beginning next year, at a meeting Nov. 20. Voting yes were Pat McCombs, Jim Smith and Barbara Brownstein. Opposed were board board President Lauren Stephens and Christa Campbell.

More than 30 people were at the meeting, anxious to know the fate of football. For over an hour the attendees sat on the edge of their seats as board members discussed the pros and cons of adding football as a fall sport.

It wasn’t any easy decision to make. Those for and against football brought strong and passionate arguments to the table. The board heard many of them at an open community meeting Nov. 18. It was attended by nearly 60 people attended.

Brad Smith, who has been spearheading the program, said there was a great deal of interest among students, alumni and community members. He said supporters would not ask for money from the school budget for any part of the football program.

Many of those who opposed football said it would be detrimental to the soccer program. Raven Skyriver contended that soccer is a community sport on Lopez with a long history. “I feel that if the football team took away from the soccer team, it would negate the community,” he said.

The school board researched football at other B schools and found those schools with football don’t have a fall soccer team. After inquiring why, many schools answered their student body could not support both sports.

This concern was also expressed by local citizens. “A new football program should not be started if there is a reasonable chance it will adversely affect current, successful programs... The cost, time and money are disproportionate to those it will serve,” Scott Meyers wrote to the school board.

“I feel it would be shortsighted of the board to take on another program that is going to cost more money down the road,” said attendee Laura Adams. Adams also cited concerns about possible budget and teacher cuts next year.

But Lopez High School alum Denny Jardine said at the Nov. 18 community meeting that if the kids want football, the school should give it to them. “I went to school here and wanted to play football,” he said, expressing regret over not having the chance to play football during high school. “It’s our children’s choice. If we have enough kids that say they want to play, then let them play.”

Several felt a football program might increase enrollment. Lee Leighman noted that his son chose to attend school in Anacortes. One of the reasons his son left the Lopez district was to play a sport that Lopez did not offer.

On the other side of the coin was a student who said he would enroll in another school if the soccer program came to an end. Fears that both football and soccer would weaken were also raised. “It would inevitably deplete the soccer program and both sports will suffer,” said Becky Johnson.

In the end, the board approved the program by one vote. Superintendent Larry Johnson said he favored starting an eight-man football program but added that he would end the program if it looked to the budget for financial support. “If it doesn’t fly, it’s over. We don’t have the money (in the budget) to support it,” Johnson said.

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