UPside of Life: And then there were eight

There's just something about football that gets the blood boiling, isn't there?

Sure, baseball is America's pastime and hockey is practically a religion in some parts of the Upper Peninsula, but football is king when the fall rolls around.

For the longest time, it seemed like nearly every high school had a team. Then, as enrollment numbers began to drop, so did programs in the smaller districts. There just weren't enough players to suit up a competitive team, even when combining the junior varsity and varsity programs.

Then, last year, the answer came into fruition--eight-man football.

In rural areas across the country, eight-man football is just a way of life. A few less linemen, a little bit narrower field to negate speed differences, and football could be played by a team that struggled to field a competitive 11-man program. Schools across the Upper Peninsula, and some in the lower, jumped at the chance to bring back their programs. Suddenly pads were being strapped on again and tackles were being made. Friday night lights glimmered where they hadn't glimmered before.

That eight-man season, in its second year this fall, has proved to be popular. Teams from Rapid River, Cedarville, Mid Peninsula, Ewen-Trout Creek, Brimley, Engadine and Superior Central have jumped onto the scene along with teams like Posen, Bellaire and Traverse City Christian from the northern lower.

So what, some might say. Why does this even matter?

Because Class D schools deserve to offer everything they can. Music programs have been cut. Drama is pretty much non-existent at most. Even the curriculum is suffering. But students at these schools have always had a chance to play the sports they wanted to play. They learned about team and about triumph and defeat. They learned about heart and pushing themselves past the limits they thought constrained them.

Eight-man football is bringing that back to some of these schools. Superior Central, which is looking to make a run at the conference title in its inaugural year, is finally able to offer the sport. Mid Peninsula returns a team after four years of not having one. Teams like Rapid River and Cedarville are able to field competitive teams without worrying about their numbers being too low.

Frankly, eight-man football has breathed life back into some communities. Last Saturday, at Superior Central, fans packed onto the small bleachers on either side of the field. They stood and watched. Some even brought their own chairs.

At Mid Pen, the orange and white of the Wolverines is flashing on Fridays and Saturdays again. No more do the students who want to play on the gridiron have to travel to their rival school, Rapid River, in order to get that chance.

This year, there are 21 teams in the state that will be vying for 16 playoff spots. The state championship will be held in Marquette, at the Superior Dome.

No matter who makes it to the tournament, or who wins the state finals, one thing is already for certain: The schools that took a chance and fielded a team are the winners, as are the kids who eagerly stepped up to play.

Sam Eggleston is the editor of U.P. Second Wave and a freelance writer. He graduated from Mid Peninsula High School, having donned the orange and white for the football team, and is a volunteer assistant coach for the Wolverines this season. He can be reached via email.