DRACUT — After a dizzying day which included a statement from administration, a spirited rally and then a false report, the future of the Dracut High football program remained in jeopardy entering Friday.
Parents of players huddled Thursday night on campus in an effort to save the program.
But the rally was squelched an hour later when unconfirmed reports surfaced that the school had reportedly already pulled the plug on the program due to dangerously low numbers.
The reports were not true. Prior to practice, according to sophomore quarterback Ryan Cole, athletic director Paula Chausse addressed the team.
“She said she was going to make a decision in 24 hours,” Cole said Thursday night. “Everyone on the team is wanting to play. We all want to play. We’re all so dedicated to the team and the coaching staff.”
Efforts to reach Chausse and varsity football coach Jermaine McKenzie for comment were unsuccessful.
An emotionally-charged rally was held in front of the school, which featured over 150 parents, students and fans. They got a boost from an army of Dracut Pop Warner players.
“This is more than we hoped for, this is incredible,” said Jenn Wakefield, one of the event’s organizers and Cole’s mother. “This is a community coming together to rally. Listen to this. I couldn’t have asked for a better turnout. I was thinking 25 maybe 50 people would be here. There are easily over 100 here. This is an absolute show of support for our kids, community and the future of the Dracut school sports programs, not just football. All of the sports. We’re here. We’re not going anywhere.”
The Middies finished 2-10 last year amid dwindling numbers.
In a joint statement released earlier in the day, Chausse, Principal Richard Manley and Superintendent of Schools Steve Stone addressed the issues.
“We continue to explore any and all viable options by which we might be able to field a team this fall,” the statement read.
According to the release, Dracut initially enrolled 28 football players, a sufficient roster to field a team. However, as of Thursday, that number was reduced to 20, with 17 physically cleared to play.
“Declining participation in football across the country is being felt most prominently in smaller communities, and there are a number of municipalities in or approaching similar situations in regards to participation in football,” the statement continued. “Our commitment to our football program continues as we investigate and evaluate all possible options to preserve the upcoming season. We are also in communication with neighboring schools and officials from the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA).”
At the time, the school administrators maintained that the matter remained fluid, and they’d continue to keep the community informed as additional information became available.
A neighboring school, Innovation Academy Charter School in Tyngsboro, appeared ready to step in to help. According to Innovation Head of Schools Greg Orpen, the school made a co-op pitch to Dracut. IAC doesn’t have a football program but has between 13-15 players who expressed interest in playing football somewhere if such a merger was proposed, but nothing came of it.
“The only word I got was that it didn’t look like something that would work out this year,” said Orpen. “I didn’t get any specific reason why. Whether it’s scheduling, busing, finances, there’s a whole laundry list of things that could gum it up.”
According to Cuom Truong, father of Dracut senior player Robbie Truong, the news of a possible lost season is the latest in what he says has been an uphill battle.
“If they fielded a team this year, wins and losses would be irrelevant,” said Truong. “Would they be competitive? That’s beside the point. The seniors have poured their blood, sweat and tears into this. This is my second kid to go through this program, it’s been nothing but disappointments after disappointments, year after year the past four years, with four coaches and countless assistant coaches. The instability in the leadership positions have created a loss of interest among the kids in a sport that requires leadership and teamwork.”
