An argument can be made for eliminating football from the activities of all high schools due to the potential damage to players through concussions. But if a school is going to have a football team and if it has one of the larger student bodies in the region, the team should not lose game after game, many by lopsided scores.
It isn’t just a question of the unfairness to the players, many of whom are hoping to obtain scholarships to college as a way of getting a step up on life. What are their chances when your team loses every game?
It is also a matter of school and …yes … even community morale.
Winning all of the games isn’t important and may be even undesirable, because youngsters need to know how to cope with both victory and defeat. But to lose… and lose … and lose. This is psychologically very damaging.
The responsibility to field a competitive team does not lie with the players, to whom we owe our gratitude, but with the School District of Lancaster. Something is lacking in its football program.
We don’t expect that McCaskey can turn things around overnight. It may take two or three years. But the personnel and resources should be put in place. And the matter should have attention from the Board, the superintendent, the school principals and the team boosters.
McCaskey football doesn’t have to win championships or even half their games, but they should win some. Neither the players nor community should have to suffer embarrassment.
