George School has had a varsity football team since 1923, but the Cougars’ 100th anniversary season appears to be in jeopardy.
In a letter sent to the George School community on December 13, Principal Sam Houser and Athletics Director Kurt Louch said that head football coach Dom Gregorio “due to safety concerns, the current football program has been suspended. It is shown that he cannot lead any more. “Our student-athletes” and “injuries caused by the lack of depth in our roster have created major challenges this season.”
The letter proposed two solutions, eight-a-side football in a new league, rather than traditional 11-a-side games and “no program next year”, with a decision taken in January, It will be shared with the community. He also said football will be the only sport affected.
Pafootballnews.com has listed four schools playing eight-a-side football in Pennsylvania in 2022. Maryland School for the Deaf, Model Secondary School for the Deaf in Washington, DC, and Randolph-Macon Academy (VA) also compete with these four schools in the Keystone 8-Man League.
There has been a lot of activity on the George School Facebook page over the last few days, most if not all in favor of continuing the football program.
Chong Kim, a 1982 George School graduate and former soccer player, said, “GS football has survived for years without recruiting players. Why now is this an excuse to end football?” as a framework for evolving as productive young people.”
Maura Surley, a 1965 George School graduate and the daughter of former football coach John Gleeson (1985-2015), said her father “used the same resources to keep the program alive for 30 years. taught to include all abilities and backgrounds,” he emphasized.
Gleason led the 1999 team, considered perhaps the best in school. That team had an independent schedule where he played 7–1 and recorded the best points differential (+149) in school history.
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On the other hand, David Miller said, “In the current situation, the Hauser administration made the right decision in the wrong way. Playing perhaps fewer than 20 physically fit athletes on their roster, nobody gets killed or killed.” You should breathe a sigh of relief that you weren’t seriously injured.”
The Cougars’ 2022 roster had 27 players listed.
Faced with low numbers, Hatborough Horsham and New Hope Salbury have been granted a two-year waiver from the Suburban One League, allowing them to play independent football schedules in 2022 and 2023.
George School, a Quaker private school in Newtown, finished 4-6 last season after bringing back 15 starters (8 on offense) from 2021.
Dating back to 2004, the Cougars compiled a soccer record of 40 wins and 106 losses. The only winning season during that period occurred in 2015 (5-3), Gleason’s final year.
I created a savegeorgeschoolfootball Instagram page.
George School parents and other football supporters have scheduled a Zoom meeting Monday night to discuss the issue.
Tom Moore: tmoore@couriertimes; @TomMoorePhilly