The Times - Serving Waitsburg, Dayton and the Touchet Valley

WAITSBURG – Waitsburg School District's July 29 budget hearing was followed by a brief public discussion "entertaining the idea" of combining Waitsburg and Dayton for middle school football. Those in attendance responded in favor of the suggestion.

Superintendent Carol Clarke stated the concerns of Waitsburg middle school football coach Jeff Bartlow, who was unable to be present at the meeting. With only 44 seventh- and eighth-grade students (about 52 percent boys), Bartlow is worried about the ability to field an 11-man football team, Clarke said.

Bartlow was also concerned for Dayton, Clarke said. That school already knows it doesn't have enough players to field an 11-man team and is unsure if it has enough to field an eight-man team.

"This is strictly at a discussion level because the same discussion is going to take place in Dayton – but it will be dependent on the outcome of this discussion. Are we at all interested in entertaining the thought of seeing if Dayton is interested in joining us – as a combine – for middle school football?" Clarke asked.

Dayton would need to consider issues such as cost-sharing and transportation, but the first step is to determine if there is interest, on Waitsburg's end, Clarke said. The combine would be only for middle school, and only for football.

"We're aware that Dayton's middle school program has had three false starts, meaning they put a schedule together, had just enough kids to start the season, but then had to cancel the rest of their games," said Board Chair Ross Hamann. "What I see is an opportunity to perhaps make it so we have a program for all the kids who want to play."

Dayton Superintendent Doug Johnson has also expressed interest in pursuing the conversation, Clarke said. She said Dayton has other options such as offering flag football or some other internal program or allowing eighth graders to play up to high school, which wouldn't allow seventh graders to gain experience.

"Developmentally, it's the right thing to do for both programs," Hamann said. "I would like to see Dayton have a healthy football program again."

He also commented that middle school combines are much less complicated than varsity sports, and that they don't require a change in WIAA classifications. "There really is much more emphasis and focus on participation," he said.

The Waitsburg school board agreed to entertain the idea of combining middle school football with Dayton and agreed that all conversations will go through Clarke and Johnson. If those conversations are favorable, Clarke said the combine would likely show up as an action item on the Aug. 12 Waitsburg School Board agenda.