This fall season you might’ve heard about the varsity and freshman football team, but nothing about the JV football team.  That’s because Dominion doesn’t have a JV football team this year.  

Last year there were 24 players on the freshman football team.  They lost every game they played, and this year only six players from that team came back to play.   “The organization didn’t fit me,” said Aidan Jones about his decision not to return to the football program. Lucas Auguliera said, “I was so focused on football that I was getting a lot of bad grades” but did say there were a lot of good times playing football. 

According to NFHS (National Federation of State High School) numbers have shown that high school football participants is down 6.5 percent from the 2009 season, and outdoor track has passed football as the most popular sport in high school.  At Dominion there are 53 students who play football in total. According to the roster submitted by Dominion athletics, on the cross country team there are 81 students just on the boys team.

This year there are only 35 players on the varsity roster, and there are 13 seniors graduating, that means a lot more underclassmen on varsity than previous years. Coach Woodard said, “We are not planning on not having a JV football team next year, we are going to stop kids in the hallway, speak with student-athletes who play winter and spring sports, and create a football culture that student-athletes want to be a part of.”  

Recruiting players who have an interest in playing is essential to having a JV team next year and having a good football program.  This year there are 18 freshman playing, there is hope that if enough students are willing to come back and play there will be a JV football team next year.

Both Auguliera and Muhammad Khan said they had a lot of fun and would definitely play next year.