One football team for Carlton, Wrenshall?

A historical sports co-operative between schools in Carlton and Wrenshall could be approved as early as Monday by district school boards. Football coaches and

activities directors from both schools made presentations to the public in Carlton and the Wrenshall board Wednesday night on the prospect of the two schools teaming up in football. The idea comes on the heels of a partnership in cross- country last fall that was deemed successful.

“I’m 100-percent for this,” said Wrenshall football and activities director Jeremy Zywicki as he addressed the Wrenshall board at its committee of the whole meeting. He had just come Carlton, where head coach Jason Crane and activities director Ben Midge joined him. Midge and Crane also met with the Wrenshall board.

Crane said Carlton students are all on board with playing with Wrenshall. He said waiting each year hoping participation numbers will go up isn’t sustainable for either program. “There is no right time to do this,” he said, stressing that the time is now.

The problem for both schools has been in fielding enough players. They play in the nine-man division and still have trouble filling rosters. Zywicki said he had only eight players in the final game of the season last year due to injuries. He started with just 14. Crane said he had 19 players, down from 29 at the start of the season.

Both schools have, off and on over the years, had to abandon varsity play because there aren’t enough upperclassmen. Younger players aren’t ready for the speed and size of varsity play, Zywicki said. More players means more sustainability, he said. “And we wouldn’t be putting kids in harm’s way. We want success but we want kids safe.”

The co-op would put the team in 11-man play, though with schedules already set for next year, it would play nine-man teams but be forced to move into 11-man competition for playoffs. The schedule would include other Class A teams like Barnum, East Central, Hinckley-Finlayson and Braham.

The coaches have talked about some details but much remains up in the air as they wait for school boards to approve the co-op. The varsity team would likely practice in Wrenshall and play games in Carlton. New uniforms would incorporate the blue scheme from Carlton and the orange from Wrenshall. There would be three sets of two coaches for varsity, junior varsity and junior high squads. A shuttle bus system to and from practice could be implemented for football players and cross-country runners.

Earlier this year, it appeared that any thought of pairing and sharing sports beyond cross-country was dead in the water, with the Carlton track coach saying “no” to combining for track and field, and some school board members not interested in combining for football because it would mean a move to 11-man. Zywicki said Wrenshall would likely be unable to field a varsity team this fall without the co-op.

Activities directors Zywicki and Midge planned to work on language of the agreement with the superintendents of both schools. Each school board has a regular meeting Monday and could vote to approve the co-op then. A majority of board members from each district agreed that the coaches’ plan was good for both schools.

There was a question about a potential mascot for the unique pairing. Michelle Blanchard from the Wrenshall board had a suggestion: “A bulldog body with a wren head,” she said with a chuckle.