A traditional C-2 power will not field a Varsity Football team this fall . Only 13 kids out for football this year .
Oakland-Craig
- Thread starter Big bo fan
- Start date
I heard that as well from a local. JV only this year and surely will declare 8-man for the next two-year cycle
Their numbers will be a lot better next year.8 man opt is possible because quantity doesn’t always equal quality.
That's awful to hear. They're only 5-ish years removed from a C2 Championship, and I remember them being consistently good every year.
I would probably imagine that their opponents would be left with BYE weeks, as it would be hard to schedule another team when you play the full 9 regular season weeks in 11-man. That Northeast corner of the state always has several contenders for C2.
I would probably imagine that their opponents would be left with BYE weeks, as it would be hard to schedule another team when you play the full 9 regular season weeks in 11-man. That Northeast corner of the state always has several contenders for C2.
Those kids should be able to play at a neighboring district without penalty. Hate that it comes down to this so often. Situations like this makes it impossible for the kid.
O-C will bounce back, but it really sucks for those seniors who were looking forward to playing football.
O-C will bounce back, but it really sucks for those seniors who were looking forward to playing football.
Perennial football power Oakland-Craig cancels Varsity season, plans to move to 8-man football
Once-Dominant program drops to 8-Man football amid declining numbers
www.newschannelnebraska.com
Seniors in JV is a local decision. NSAA or anytgelse wouldn't impact it. With 13, you're using all 13.
Oakland-Craig Football Enters Transition Year Amid Participation Challenges
Oakland-Craig Public Schools has announced a significant change to its high school football program for the 2025 season due to low participation numbers. After months of monitoring player interest and turnout, the district has made the decision to forgo a varsity 11-man football season and...
waynedailynews.com
Oakland-Craig Football Enters Transition Year Amid Participation Challenges
by Jess Bland
Oakland-Craig Public Schools has announced a significant change to its high school football program for the 2025 season due to low participation numbers. After months of monitoring player interest and turnout, the district has made the decision to forgo a varsity 11-man football season and instead pursue a Junior Varsity schedule in the 8-man format.
District officials had hoped for at least 18 students to participate, the number believed to be necessary to safely support an 11-man varsity team. However, only 14 students attended the first official day of practice, prompting the administration to reevaluate the program's direction.
Current male enrollment in grades 9-11 is 46, compared to a seven-year average of 52. While this difference may seem small, only 30% of male students are participating in football this fall, which is well below the seven-year average of 67%. Unfortunately, this reflects a significant decline in both participation and engagement in football here at Oakland-Craig. As a result, we have made the difficult decision not to compete at the varsity level this fall.
In response, Oakland-Craig plays to move forward with an 8-Man Junior Varsity season for 2025. We are currently working to schedule JV games with nearby 8-man programs to provide student-athletes with meaningful, competitive opportunities. Starting in the fall of 2026, the district intends to remain in the 8-Man format, with the goal of fielding a varsity team as participation grows. We are dedicated to preserving the energy and excitement football brings to the community.
In addition to high school adjustments, Oakland-Craig is transitioning its youth football program to the 8-Man format this fall to ensure consistency and long-term development.
Meanwhile, the Junior High football cooperative with Lyons-Decatur Northeast will remain in the 11-Man format for the 2025 season due to previously scheduled commitments. The district plans to revisit the Junior High arrangement ahead of the 2026 season to potentially align with the rest of the program's shift to 8-Man football.
Despite the changes, we want to assure families and the community that cherished traditions will remain in place. Events such as Homecoming, band and vocal performances, and dance team appearances will continue, even if they look different from previous years. We remain fully committed to offering a meaningful and memorable experience for our students this fall.
The district would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the football coaching staff for their dedication, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to our athletes during this time of transition. Their leadership, mentorship, and countless hours of work, both on and off the field, have been instrumental in navigating these uncharted waters and in preparing our players for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Looking ahead, the district remains optimistic. With encouraging participation from younger students, we view this as a transitional year that will ultimately help strengthen the football program.
The district invites ongoing questions and feedback from the the community and expresses gratitude for the support during this time of change.
by Jess Bland
Oakland-Craig Public Schools has announced a significant change to its high school football program for the 2025 season due to low participation numbers. After months of monitoring player interest and turnout, the district has made the decision to forgo a varsity 11-man football season and instead pursue a Junior Varsity schedule in the 8-man format.
District officials had hoped for at least 18 students to participate, the number believed to be necessary to safely support an 11-man varsity team. However, only 14 students attended the first official day of practice, prompting the administration to reevaluate the program's direction.
Current male enrollment in grades 9-11 is 46, compared to a seven-year average of 52. While this difference may seem small, only 30% of male students are participating in football this fall, which is well below the seven-year average of 67%. Unfortunately, this reflects a significant decline in both participation and engagement in football here at Oakland-Craig. As a result, we have made the difficult decision not to compete at the varsity level this fall.
In response, Oakland-Craig plays to move forward with an 8-Man Junior Varsity season for 2025. We are currently working to schedule JV games with nearby 8-man programs to provide student-athletes with meaningful, competitive opportunities. Starting in the fall of 2026, the district intends to remain in the 8-Man format, with the goal of fielding a varsity team as participation grows. We are dedicated to preserving the energy and excitement football brings to the community.
In addition to high school adjustments, Oakland-Craig is transitioning its youth football program to the 8-Man format this fall to ensure consistency and long-term development.
Meanwhile, the Junior High football cooperative with Lyons-Decatur Northeast will remain in the 11-Man format for the 2025 season due to previously scheduled commitments. The district plans to revisit the Junior High arrangement ahead of the 2026 season to potentially align with the rest of the program's shift to 8-Man football.
Despite the changes, we want to assure families and the community that cherished traditions will remain in place. Events such as Homecoming, band and vocal performances, and dance team appearances will continue, even if they look different from previous years. We remain fully committed to offering a meaningful and memorable experience for our students this fall.
The district would like to extend our sincere appreciation to the football coaching staff for their dedication, adaptability, and unwavering commitment to our athletes during this time of transition. Their leadership, mentorship, and countless hours of work, both on and off the field, have been instrumental in navigating these uncharted waters and in preparing our players for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Looking ahead, the district remains optimistic. With encouraging participation from younger students, we view this as a transitional year that will ultimately help strengthen the football program.
The district invites ongoing questions and feedback from the the community and expresses gratitude for the support during this time of change.
These are the teams that will now be one-game short on their schedules because of O-C dropping their varsity season.
Battle Creek
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Malcom
Norfolk Catholic
North Bend
Ponca
Tekamah-Herman
West Point-Beemer
Yutan
A lot of history and tradition sitting out this season in Oakland.
Oakland-Craig's 2024 season ended with a 22-16 loss to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the first round of the playoffs -- just the second time in the past seven years the Knights did not advance past the first round. They were Class C2 state champions in 2019 and were runner-up in 2015. Oakland-Craig also won a state championship in 1995.
O-C has made the playoffs every year since 2007 and has missed the postseason just four times since 1992.
Battle Creek
Hartington Cedar Catholic
Malcom
Norfolk Catholic
North Bend
Ponca
Tekamah-Herman
West Point-Beemer
Yutan
A lot of history and tradition sitting out this season in Oakland.
Oakland-Craig's 2024 season ended with a 22-16 loss to Hartington Cedar Catholic in the first round of the playoffs -- just the second time in the past seven years the Knights did not advance past the first round. They were Class C2 state champions in 2019 and were runner-up in 2015. Oakland-Craig also won a state championship in 1995.
O-C has made the playoffs every year since 2007 and has missed the postseason just four times since 1992.
I think the other side of this is you now have those seniors playing against JV level 9th graders from other teams. I don't know the answer to this situation, but it seems like a stretch to have varsity level experienced seniors playing incoming 9th graders trying to learn the game through JV football. Lose-Lose situation. You don't want to punish the OC seniors, but should it come at the expense of other programs playing JV football?
In OC's case, I think Coach Anderson and Coach Guzinski are two of the best dudes in the game. They will do all they can to get their kids an experience of some sort. And I know they will always lookout for the other team's well-being, too.
I agree that they SHOULD. Unfortunately, the NSAA or NDE has set the precedent that this is not the case. The rule states that it must be for an academic reason, and there have been student-athletes who participated in sports whose varsity programs' season got cancelled, and they were told they would not be eligible if they transferred, and a hardship waiver would be denied.
The senior class are the ones that didn’t go out. And I respectfully disagree with you on the kids should be able to play with a neighboring district.
You must know a lot about the situation. Even if zero seniors went out, there should have been more than the 14-15 kids that showed up. Which means there were other classes with little participation.
i feel bad for the kids, but the same amount came to the spring meeting. They weren’t blindsided by this. They could have used the May 1 transfer list deadline and been eligible to play somewhere else.
I am a local the numbers were always going to be low . Their best player ( senior ) chose not to got out and that got a couple more kids not to go out . 1 senior got hurt and had surgery. Joe was hoping for 19 which is really low but with no injuries could have worked. Their numbers in Junior high are better but will be D-1 ( eight man) with the new adjusted classifications coming in. They honestly just got caught in football being a two year classification ( schedule) cycle.
Forfeit win vs a division 4 team (0-9). Looks like Yutan is the only team that has as replacement game, and that's due to SSC only having an 8 game schedule.