Braves start 8-man grid season

Remember “Eight Is Enough,” the popular 1970s TV drama?

It’s now the new mantra for La Conner High School football, at least for the next two seasons.

Faced with declining enrollment as the smallest Class 2B school system in Washington, La Conner school officials opted following the 2023 season and a series of community meetings to downsize the team to eight players.

The Braves will play an independent eight-man schedule this season and next. They will not be eligible for post-season action. Playoff spots are reserved for 1B schools.

During the next two school years, efforts will be made to grow the La Conner football program. The goal is to attract enough athletes to return to an 11-player team, even as the school fields competitive boys’ soccer teams.

Braves head coach Charlie Edwards greeted 14 players to the team’s first 2024 practice session on Aug. 21. That’s more turnout than he saw at first practices in 2022 and 2023.

“This is a great start,” Edwards told players before handing out equipment. “We’re looking forward to having a great season.”

The Braves will build around three seniors: all-purpose backfield standout C.J. Edwards and offensive linemen/outside linebackers Jaydin Clark and Marlon Edwards.

Junior lettermen Brent Bobb (WR/DB) and Chas James (OL/DL) will also play key roles.

In addition, two sophomores and seven freshmen reported to the season’s first practice.

“We’re lucky to have a good, athletic group of underclassmen,” Edwards said.

Edwards said additional players are expected to join the team’s ranks prior to La Conner’s season debut at 3 p.m. Sept. 6 opposite Pomeroy at neutral site Sunnyside High School in the Yakima Valley.

Edwards and his staff noted the wide-open nature of eight-man football, which is played on a regular 100-by-52-yard field. All players, linemen included, will learn ball-carrying techniques.

“You never know when someone might have to pick up the ball and run with it,” Edwards said.

In fact, Edwards recalled, several Braves linemen took handoffs in the backfield during La Conner’s 26-13 home triumph over Annie Wright Academy of Tacoma last year.

“We want these guys to be ready and prepared,” he said.

Edwards and assistant coaches Eddie Almaraz, Ricky Richards and John Agen (who quarterbacked the 1973 La Conner team to a 9-0 regular season mark and state playoff berth) have themselves done much preparation ahead of this season.

“I’ve attended a half-dozen clinics online and as a staff we’ve been meeting the last two or three weeks to talk strategy,” Edwards said. “We’ve been planning. The advice we’ve been getting from eight-man coaches around the state is to ‘get fast.’”

What Edwards is telling his players is to take advantage of the opportunity they have this year, despite having no pathway to postseason.

“Every (regular season) game is our playoffs,” he said. “We came this close to losing the program. You don’t get to put these pads and helmets on again (after high school). You don’t want to take anything for granted. You don’t want to have any regrets.”