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ONE TREE Lone Tree High School had a football team that made the playoffs just two years ago.
The school will not field a varsity team this fall due to low enrollment.
The Gazette was informed by Superintendent Tyler Hotz that Lone Tree will only participate in junior varsity sports.
Hotz stated, “We were aiming for 20 kids; we knew last spring that we were going to be low.” Then, we believed that 18 would be the upper limit.
On Monday, the first formal practice day, ten players—two seniors and no juniors—showed up.
According to Hotz, we’re up until eleven today.
In an email to the schools the Lions were supposed to play this season, Hotz stated that Lone Tree will try to play as many JV games as possible.
Hotz stated that the school held an open-door community meeting last spring and presented three choices in light of the likely low participation rates:
* A schedule exclusive to varsity.
* A schedule exclusive to JV.
* A sharing contract with another educational institution.
According to Hotz’s email, our town ultimately made the decision to try their hand at a varsity football program.
With a squad of 19 players, including five seniors, Lone Tree finished 2-6 the previous season. It finished 6-3 in 2023 and qualified for the 8-Player playoffs.
With a total roster of 17 students in the seventh and eighth grades, Hotz claimed that the middle school program is healthier.
Two of Lone Tree’s rivals have already secured replacement matches for Friday of next week, which some refer to as Week Zero.
Belle Plaine will go to Janesville, and Iowa Valley will play at Springville.
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