Gracemont High School pushing through economic uncertainty and lack of gridiron history to field first team this fall.
Jeremy Scott is building the Gracemont football program from the ground up.
Photo by Debra Smith
Can the creation of a football team save a high school
– perhaps even a small town
– from going out of existence?
The residents of tiny Gracemont (Gracemont, Okla.), population 336, are about to find out because they are going to field the first football team in their 108-year history this fall.
It may be only eight-man independent with a six-game junior varsity schedule, but it’s a daring beginning – particularly in these tough economic times – to start totally from scratch.
Ever since he began teaching at Gracemont five years ago, Jeremy Scott has pushed the idea of starting football to administration. Having played four years as a two-way lineman at Italy (Italy, Texas) and coached three years at Gainesville (Gainesville, Texas), Scott long has been passionate about the sport.
Watching the school enrollment dwindle from 220 (grades k-12) when he came to Gracemont to 175 today, Scott finally found a sympathetic superintendent, Mike Jones, following failed attempts with Jones’ two predecessors.
"Our numbers are declining. We think we can motivate some of our students to do better academically (to retain eligibility for sports) and, hopefully, make our school more attractive so we can maintain and increase our enrollment," Jones said. "Most of our boys are interested in playing football. It’s an expensive sport and a big gamble. The board felt that the positives outweigh the negatives. We are going to go at it as hard as we can."
"There’s a place for everybody on the field," Scott said. "We should generate income over time, which will help buy uniforms for other sports. A lot of people around Gracemont always have liked football. Basically, we’re trying to make this dream come true and build the community up."
Some transfers are expected and players from neighboring schools which don’t have football would be eligible.
It truly has been a community-wide effort with volunteers working around the clock to build a football field in the baseball field area. They already have a scoreboard, which was donated by the nearby Pond Creek-Hunter School District.
Perhaps the biggest donation – over $5,000 in equipment – was made by Sexton & Sexton School Supply of Apache, Okla., located about 30 miles from Gracemont.
"We’ve been doing business with the school for 42 years," Bill Sexton said. "We knew what they needed and just wanted to help them out. We didn’t do it for publicity."
A former school superintendent, Sexton said, “I think it will make a big difference in their program and keep more kids in school.”
It was pointed out that Cement (Cement, Okla.) started football for similar reasons around five years ago and was able to boost its enrollment as well as its morale.
Energetic 69-year-old Principal Roberta Fullbright sent out a letter recently to help raise some money for equipment. It read, in part, "This venture will develop camaraderie, teamwork and academic success. It has been proven that students who are involved in school athletics are less likely to take the wrong path down life’s highway."
The Lions also are selling T-shirts for $15 as part of their fundraising.
Scott, of course, will serve as the head coach and offensive coordinator. Basketball coach Charles Hough, who played football at Boise City (Boise City, Okla.), will be the defensive coordinator. Handling special teams will be Oklahoma State University student Tyler Harrison, who played basketball at Gracemont.
None of the coaches will accept a salary and Scott also will not be paid for driving the team bus. Local pastor Jack Treffinger will handle the public address system for no charge.
"We’re going to have fun and make it as exciting as we can," Treffinger said.
Twenty five boys have expressed an interest in playing football and 17 have signed up so far. Scott envisions a squad of 50 by the second year.
There won’t be much size because senior Chase Blackburn will be one of the biggest at 6-foot-1 and 155 pounds. He averaged close to 17 points in basketball and is a potential quarterback or wide receiver.
"I hope it helps out the school," Blackburn said. "I’m excited about it. I have no idea (what position he’ll play). I’ll be ready for anything."
Another player, senior Kasey McCord, said, "I’m real excited. It’s going to be a pretty good experience. I think it will be good for our school. The word is spreading and I’m hearing something every day."
The 5-11, 155-pound McCord averaged 12 points and six rebounds last year on a basketball team which had only five players.
Principal Fullbright added, "The kids love Jeremy. If anybody can inspire them, it’s him." But she also admits, "It’s a gamble. We could lose everything."
Two-a-day practices will get underway on Aug. 10 and there will be a huge amount of teaching ahead.
"It makes me feel so excited," Scott said. "It really is a gift of giving (from the entire community). It’s just been an awesome experience – overwhelming. It’s kind of like a fairy tale coming true."
