mwynn05
10-11-2007, 01:12 PM
Frost ends season tonight
Polar Bears to forfeit final four games
By Tony Marquis
Frost’s season comes to an abrupt end tonight.
The Polar Bears play their unscheduled season finale against Evant, 7:30 at Polar Bear Field, forfeiting their final four games because of a lack of participation.
According to Superintendent Jim Revill, the team will be down to nine players Friday, less than the 12 the UIL requires to play 11-man football. Revill said there were talks with Evant since last Friday about moving the Evant game up.
Messages by the Daily Sun were left with Frost coach Jerry Baldridge’s wife Teri, but not returned.
“I hate to hear that — they have a great tradition out there and they’re always producing great athletes,” said J.P. Gillen, the head coach at Wortham for four years. “It’s just unfortunate that they’re not going to finish the rest of the season. Coach Baldridge has always done a good job out there and they’re sort of in a numbers crunch right now — I wish them nothing but the best of luck.”
The other alternative was to forfeit the game, because by Friday at 3:15 p.m., seven of the 16 remaining players will be held out due to grades. Of the 26 that started the season, some have injuries and about five, running back Ty Ritterbach said, have left the team.
On Wednesday, Ritterbach was spray-painting his pants for Blue and White Day — the school’s rally for the football team.
“It’s hard to explain,” said the sophomore of the team’s season-ending game Thursday. “I know for all the seniors, it’s really hurting them. We’ve put a lot of heart and soul into the team.”
The future of the team isn’t clear, as far as what classification it will enter in 2008. Frost has to state its intent on playing 11- or six-man football by the end of October.
“If we do it, it will be temporary,” said Revill of the switch to six-man football. “It’s something we’re going to have to look at. For the next four years we’re projected to have six-man numbers.”
Revill said he will meet with the Frost ISD school board soon to discuss the team’s future.
Ritterbach said that Baldridge was overcome with emotion delivering the news to the players in the Frost locker room Monday.
“He apologized because we didn’t have a team,” Ritterbach said.
“He’s upset that we can’t have a team, so he got a little angry at some of the kids. He started yelling. Then he told us to keep our heads up.”
Revill has had close contact with Baldridge this week.
“He’s as disappointed as I am,” Revill said. “It’s unfortunate. We’ve got really good kids, I can’t make people understand how good these kids are.”
Ritterbach said the disappointment he’s feeling won’t stop him from trying for Frost’s first win and first points of the season.
“Me personally, I want to go out there and show everybody that the Polar Bears still have some fight in them after this season,” he said.
Elks coach Keith Stifflemire said he preferred to play the game instead of winning by forfeit.
“At one point, we thought if we don’t move it we can get the win,” Stifflemire said. “At the same time, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do, if they beat us (tonight), the better team won.”
Stifflemire said his team won’t take the Polar Bears (0-5, 0-2 in District 13-1A) lightly, despite the situation. Evant (3-3, 1-1 in 13-1A) allowed Covington to score its first touchdown, Friday, Sept. 30.
“I don’t have any sympathy in playing them because they’re good enough to play us,” he said.
“I feel bad for next week, I feel bad for the kids and the community. I’m sure they worked just as hard as we have.”
———
Daily Sun sports editor Michael Adams contributed to this story.
Evant at Frost
7:30 p.m. , Today
At Polar Bear Stadium
RECORDS: : Frost is 0-5 and 0-2 in District 13-1A. Evant is 3-3 and 1-1 in District 13-1A.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Frost: OL/DL Matthew Arthur, OL Moses Rios, RB Ty Ritterbach, OL/DL Philip Page. Evant: QB Aaron Doyle, WR Andrew Gordon, WR Stephen Seipert, WR Chad Barnett, WR Corey Bates.
UPDATE: It’s the final game of the 2007 season for Frost — the Polar Bears will not have enough players to field a team after grades come in Friday ... Evant agreed to play the game Thursday instead of accepting the loss ... Evant let Covington score its first points in a Sept. 30 game ... According to coach Keith Stifflemire, the Elks struggle on defense but junior quarterback Aaron Doyle may be one of the best in the state. Doyle has thrown for more than 1,500 yards this season after being named to the Associated Press’s first-team all-state team last year.
— Tony Marquis
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/sports/local_story_284023732.html?keyword=topstory
Polar Bears to forfeit final four games
By Tony Marquis
Frost’s season comes to an abrupt end tonight.
The Polar Bears play their unscheduled season finale against Evant, 7:30 at Polar Bear Field, forfeiting their final four games because of a lack of participation.
According to Superintendent Jim Revill, the team will be down to nine players Friday, less than the 12 the UIL requires to play 11-man football. Revill said there were talks with Evant since last Friday about moving the Evant game up.
Messages by the Daily Sun were left with Frost coach Jerry Baldridge’s wife Teri, but not returned.
“I hate to hear that — they have a great tradition out there and they’re always producing great athletes,” said J.P. Gillen, the head coach at Wortham for four years. “It’s just unfortunate that they’re not going to finish the rest of the season. Coach Baldridge has always done a good job out there and they’re sort of in a numbers crunch right now — I wish them nothing but the best of luck.”
The other alternative was to forfeit the game, because by Friday at 3:15 p.m., seven of the 16 remaining players will be held out due to grades. Of the 26 that started the season, some have injuries and about five, running back Ty Ritterbach said, have left the team.
On Wednesday, Ritterbach was spray-painting his pants for Blue and White Day — the school’s rally for the football team.
“It’s hard to explain,” said the sophomore of the team’s season-ending game Thursday. “I know for all the seniors, it’s really hurting them. We’ve put a lot of heart and soul into the team.”
The future of the team isn’t clear, as far as what classification it will enter in 2008. Frost has to state its intent on playing 11- or six-man football by the end of October.
“If we do it, it will be temporary,” said Revill of the switch to six-man football. “It’s something we’re going to have to look at. For the next four years we’re projected to have six-man numbers.”
Revill said he will meet with the Frost ISD school board soon to discuss the team’s future.
Ritterbach said that Baldridge was overcome with emotion delivering the news to the players in the Frost locker room Monday.
“He apologized because we didn’t have a team,” Ritterbach said.
“He’s upset that we can’t have a team, so he got a little angry at some of the kids. He started yelling. Then he told us to keep our heads up.”
Revill has had close contact with Baldridge this week.
“He’s as disappointed as I am,” Revill said. “It’s unfortunate. We’ve got really good kids, I can’t make people understand how good these kids are.”
Ritterbach said the disappointment he’s feeling won’t stop him from trying for Frost’s first win and first points of the season.
“Me personally, I want to go out there and show everybody that the Polar Bears still have some fight in them after this season,” he said.
Elks coach Keith Stifflemire said he preferred to play the game instead of winning by forfeit.
“At one point, we thought if we don’t move it we can get the win,” Stifflemire said. “At the same time, I don’t think that’s the right thing to do, if they beat us (tonight), the better team won.”
Stifflemire said his team won’t take the Polar Bears (0-5, 0-2 in District 13-1A) lightly, despite the situation. Evant (3-3, 1-1 in 13-1A) allowed Covington to score its first touchdown, Friday, Sept. 30.
“I don’t have any sympathy in playing them because they’re good enough to play us,” he said.
“I feel bad for next week, I feel bad for the kids and the community. I’m sure they worked just as hard as we have.”
———
Daily Sun sports editor Michael Adams contributed to this story.
Evant at Frost
7:30 p.m. , Today
At Polar Bear Stadium
RECORDS: : Frost is 0-5 and 0-2 in District 13-1A. Evant is 3-3 and 1-1 in District 13-1A.
PLAYERS TO WATCH: Frost: OL/DL Matthew Arthur, OL Moses Rios, RB Ty Ritterbach, OL/DL Philip Page. Evant: QB Aaron Doyle, WR Andrew Gordon, WR Stephen Seipert, WR Chad Barnett, WR Corey Bates.
UPDATE: It’s the final game of the 2007 season for Frost — the Polar Bears will not have enough players to field a team after grades come in Friday ... Evant agreed to play the game Thursday instead of accepting the loss ... Evant let Covington score its first points in a Sept. 30 game ... According to coach Keith Stifflemire, the Elks struggle on defense but junior quarterback Aaron Doyle may be one of the best in the state. Doyle has thrown for more than 1,500 yards this season after being named to the Associated Press’s first-team all-state team last year.
— Tony Marquis
http://www.corsicanadailysun.com/sports/local_story_284023732.html?keyword=topstory