** UPDATE: 1/7/08, 10:30 a.m. **
According to a recent report in the Lincoln Journal Star, Dorchester football will see changes in their district for the 2008 or 2009 seasons, although district rivals are all familiar faces who have appeared on past DHS schedules. A reader corrected an earlier report by the Times.
For the two-year football classification period that begins next fall, District D1-2 will consist of the following schools: Deshler, Freeman, Dorchester, Meridian, Exeter-Milligan, Pawnee City.
Powerhouse Howells is returning to Class D-1, where it won six straight titles before a two-year stint in 11-man football. The Bobcats lost in the semifinals and the quarterfinals the last two years. Also moving to eight-man football are Pender, Lyons-Decatur Northeast, Heartland, Hemingford, Osceola, Burwell, Conestoga, Franklin and Emerson-Hubbard.
Among Saline County schools, Tri County, Friend, and Wilber-Clatonia will remain in Class C-2 competition. The status of back-to-back Class B champion Crete will remain unchanged as well.
Actually the district is changed Freeman and Pawnee City are the only returning teams in the district. ExeterMilligan, Merdian, and Deshler are all teams that weren't in Dorchesters district
ReplyDeleteHa! Friend is still in forced to play 11 man football. Maybe they will decide to ignore the state rules and play 8 man anyway.
ReplyDeletethe Friend team that supposedly "ignored" that state rules actually chose to stay 8 man, even though they knew thay couldn't go to state because they were looking out for the future players. They were told that after the two years enrollment would be back down, and they would be playing 8 man again. The seniors in that class thought it best to just stay 8 man so the younger players wouldnt have to learn one system and then learn a completely new one the next year. Unfortunately the enrollment estimate was off, and that was why they ended up switching to 11 man in the end, though they still barely had enough players to even practice (around 24-26 I think). Why don't you get your facts straight before try and ridicule others.
ReplyDelete-k
How did that Friend team do in 11 man ball?
ReplyDeleteNot sure how they did their first year in 11-man, the senior and junior class of the 8-man team (who couldnt go to state) had tons of talent, but after those classes graduated it went downhill fast. They aren't good anymore. Lost a lot of talent and have very little coming up for a while.(in all sports really, except for probably wrestling) I am a Dorchester grad, but it is a little sad to see the once powerhouse of friend dwindled down to nothing.
ReplyDelete-k
Dorchester really had a powerhouse program in both 11 man football and in basketball for much of the 1980s when I was in school. We were playing on Class C-1 and B schools and winning. Those days are long gone. Schools go through high points and low points. However K. needs to remember that schools are placed in classes based on school enrollment, not on
ReplyDeletehow many players go out. An Omaha school could have 11 players on a team and they'd still have to play Class A ball. I side with CJ when he/she used the term "ignored the state rules." That's what Friend did. You got to teach kids we all have to play by the rules.
I know that the team turnout has nothing to do with what class they play in, it's too bad that's how it turned out for them, and would turn out for a lot of small schools that are on the edge of switching classes. I still don't think that they ignored the rules, they were trying to look out for the younger players. They weren't trying to gain anything more by staying in 8-man. They knew they couldn't go to go to state, but they were looking out for the younger players. They may not have quite the season they had those years, but they still would have been a really good team if they did go to 11 man. But it doesn't matter anymore. I just think that they shouldn't be dogged on for doing what they thought was for the better good of all players.
ReplyDeleteThey didn't ignore state rules either. Would NSAA have given them the option to chose what they wanted to do if it were against the rules? I think not. Just thought I'd throw that out there.
ReplyDeletek.
Wow! I must be getting old. I remember when Wilber was C-1 and we played both Dorchester and Friend. By the way, this was in the late 70's and early 80's. At that time, Wilber was banned from playing Crete in any sport due to the nasty fights that started in the 1950's. Probably goes back to the courthouse feud!
ReplyDeleteGood for you, K. Thanks for the info about how and why Friend chose to play 8 man. I'm a "Dorchesterite" and have gotten sick and tired of the "Dorchester-thing" to do in slamming Friend in every way possible that has been going on for YEARS. Guess what - those people 8 miles to the west are actually pretty nice people. We're all about community here in Dorchester -- sorry, Friend plays a part in our community too. It's about time to take the high road with this...show some class.
ReplyDeleteFriend parents have a bad reputation for a reason. Winning at all costs is all that matters. The NSAA should disallow state sanctioned refs to call their games if they decide to go back to 8 man as a class c2 school!!!!
ReplyDeleteMitch,
ReplyDeleteThat's a pretty hefty generalization about Friend parents. I might be stretching a bit, but I bet if we all got together and looked really hard we could come up with a couple of the "enemy" that don't believe they should "win at all costs." You seem very entrenched in your beliefs about what Friend should be required to do with their program. Why does it concern you so much? Sports is to teach kids about teamwork, physical fitness, motivation, goals, and make some great memories along the way. If you are not a "win at all costs" person yourself, why should it matter who Dorchester plays.
Wrong, wrong, wrong. The main purpose for high school athletics is to teach lessons and to build character. Exactly how are the parents and school board of Friend doing that by sending the message that they don't care what the rules are, and that they will bend them and break those rules as they best see fit? Hmmmm...
ReplyDeleteWell said Mitch.
ReplyDeleteThree wrongs huh. You convinced me.
ReplyDeleteI'm sure I'm wrong, wrong, wrong about this too, but wouldn't teamwork, physical fitness, motivation, and goals fit into your general swath of "lessons" and "character building"? Just a thought.
Hey, it looks like Ghost is one of those Friend parents who believes in winning at all costs. I don't think fitness overrides the importance of character development. Whatever. Go ahead. Teach your children well, Friend dweller!
ReplyDeleteWrong, Wrong...wait...Mitch is it the third one that drives it home...Wrong! Sorry to dissapoint but I graduated from DHS and have never lived in Friend. So you can put away the pitchfork, douse the torch, and bottle up all that animosity for another day. I would love to continue this discussion but judging from the last response I am expecting the next one to linger somewhere around "I know you are but what am I," so I will end by saying good luck to the longhorns regardless who they play.
ReplyDeleteMitch-
ReplyDeleteSo you think that Friend parents are the only ones who have a less than desirable reputation. Beleive me, Dorchester parents have the same reputation on their hands. It is too bad that it has to be that way, especially for the handful that don't have the same crappy attitudes (glad to see a few of you being heard on this posting). It is the same story for both Dorchester and Friend. There are the few bad apples that make both towns look like they do. And then they pass that same attitude down to their kids. Just glad that I was one of the ones who was raised with and open mind and doesn't judge.
Beleive me, Dorchester and Friend are more alike than you would like to beleive. Always has and always will. Get used to it. Like anonymous said "show some class." ..btw--Friend parents and School Board didn't break/bend the rules..they were no factor in the decision, it was up to the players..
-k.
We can all admit Friend screwed up by playing eight man football when the enrollment said they should be playing eleven man football. As a Dorchester parent, I could care less. They are only punishing themselves.
ReplyDeleteI have written the NSAA and asked them to consider forbidding schools from playing with state sanctioned referees if the school is playing outside of its school class. Lincoln High should not be playing 8 man and neither should Friend if the enrollment figures are correct. The NSAA was right on ruling against the Kastanek girl who left Crete two weeks before the basketball season. She broke the rules. The same should apply to entire teams and schools.
ReplyDeleteK. makes a good point. We have had our share of poor sportsmanship displayed over the years in the Dorchester stands. And some of those Dorchester parents were well known throughout the conference for their actions
ReplyDeleteBut again, I agree with one of the other anonymous' -- stop slinging mud at Friend and show some class -- and that's not a pun relating to the mudhole BOTH Friend and Dorchester had to play FB in several years ago!
Another anonymous
I think Friend has always been an insular community. Therefore it didn't surprise me when I heard they were still playing 8-man football despite their increase enrollment. I don't even live in Nebraska anymore so I don't have a dog in the hunt, but in all objectivity I must say that any school that permits its kids to skirt the rules is sending the wrong message. In essence they tell the kids: Who cares what the state says? We'll do as we see fit. Losing is part of learning, too. Kids & parents need to accept that.
ReplyDeleteFor years Friend played 8 man ball. When little Dorchester was playing Milford, Henderson, Osceola, Yutan, Tri-Couny, and others, Friend was playing 8 man ball even though they have almost twice as many people as our town. Justice prevails in the long run.
ReplyDeleteWho cares!?! Friend is Friend and Dorchester is Dorchester. Why do you care about the decisions that were made by a team that dhs fb doesn't even play?!? I guess you just need someone to complain about. Worry about your own problems, I'm sure you have plenty. You people make me laugh. Grow up and get a life.
ReplyDeleteIt's amazing how every subject ends up dealing with Friend? It's like two kid's in class looking at eachother's notes wondering what the other guy is doing. Before you know it they are both missing what's going on in the front of the room. Dorchester and Friend are like people , we are all different and were presented with different circumstances. So, PAY ATTENTION TO THE BOARD AND YOUR OWN LEARNING. THIS PRETEND RIVALRY IS DISTRACTION. I say pretend because the kid's seem oblivious to it, and I can't see any evidence that it exists.
ReplyDeleteAlso, how can you say that Friend is breaking the rules with their 8-man play (when their enrollment would have allowed them to play 11-man)when the guys that make the rules (NSAA) allow them to opt to play 8man, and not be eligible for post-season play? Are we going to see the death penalty for Friend Football next? HA HA!!
If you really want a rivalry, put Friend in BIG BOLD type on the schedule, and change your school colors, and get your journalists to bash the state they live in, and...
Bill McCartney