Published: July 23, 2008 11:53 pm            

Ending the rumors in Frost

Moore: We will be there on Aug. 4 like every other team

The Frost Polar Bears are focusing on playing football.

Rumors have surrounded the program all summer about whether or not Frost was going to field a football team in the fall.

First year coach Clark Moore was frustrated Wednesday when he was asked about the rumors and wants to put an end to the speculation.

“It’s very disappointing to hear that,” he said. “Practice is scheduled to start on Aug. 4 and we will be there like every other team in Texas and we are going to do our best.”

The Polar Bears had to forfeit their remaining four games last year after not having enough players to field an 11-man football team due to eligibility requirements.

Frost ISD superintendent Jim Revill said he does not anticipate any problems completing a season this year.

“I feel very good about the direction of where we are going,” he said. “Not to take anything away from what coach (Jerry) Baldridge did here, but new blood will sometimes rejuvenate a program.”

The Polar Bears struggled on the field last year. Frost was outscored 282-8 and gained a total of 357 yards in six games.

Frost was held scoreless in their first five games of the season and scored their only touchdown in the fourth quarter in the final game of the season against Evant. Kevin McMullen scored on an 80-yard run with 9:49 left in the game.

After the season was cut short, the Frost ISD Board of Trustees looked into moving the team to 6-man football in the fall. By a unanimous vote, however, the school board voted to field an 11-man football team.

Out of the 163 Class 1A schools playing 11-man football, Frost is the fourth smallest with an enrollment of 90 students. Chester is the smallest Class 1A school playing 11-man football with 69 students. Ranger is the second smallest with 75 and Leakey is the third with 84 students.

In District 21-1A, Frost is the smallest school behind Wortham, which has an enrollment of 129. The largest school in the district is Axtell with 178 students while Itasca and Italy have enrollments of 172 and 171, respectively.

Despite the numbers crunch again, Moore and Revill said they are having football in the fall.

“We are planning on having (a team) and that’s the way its been since school let out,” Moore said. “We will be on that field ready to go on the first day of practice.”







NUMBERS GAME



Here is a look at enrollment numbers for District 21-2A, according to Dave Campbell’s Texas Football:



DISTRICT 21-1A

AXTELL 178

ITASCA 172

ITALY 171

HUBBARD 147

DAWSON 134

WORTHAM 129

FROST 90



Here is a look at enrollments of the five smallest schools of 163 in Class 1A playing 11-man football:

CHESTER 69

RANGER 75

LEAKEY 84

FROST 90

ROBY 93

        

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