Numbers problem fosters concern

Six programs will compete in the Section II Class D varsity football ranks in 2019, with four of them eligible for the sectional title and the chance to advance to the state playoffs.

The smallest of the five classifications competing in New York, Class D offers two alternatives in terms of playing style: 11-man football and eight-man football.

Although Section II, the organization overseeing Capital District high school athletics, has not yet opted to offer the chance to play eight-man football (something several programs played in the 1950s), other sections in the state are utilizing eight-man teams at both the Class C and D levels in order to help deal with smaller roster configurations.

The numbers required to field an eight-man team are 12 players, making this brand of football a more desirable alternative for smaller schools. Four sections in the state — Section III (Syracuse area), IV (Southern Tier), V (Rochester area) and IX (Orange, Sullivan and Ulster Counties) — comprise the majority of the state's eight-man squads. There are 31 programs in those areas, 18 of them competing in the Class C ranks, playing eight-man football.

Despite the eight-man alternative, there still are programs struggling to generate ample roster contingents. Eldred, a Section IX school that dropped to eight-man football, ended its season Thursday because of low roster numbers that failed to reach 10.

Rensselaer, a nine-time Section II Class D champion since the playoff system began in 1978, shut down its season Monday as the Rams were unable to field enough players to compete. They were set to play in the Class C South Division this fall. Instead, the equipment is now packed up — a stinging blow for a proud program that last captured a sectional championship in 2012.

Section II...