Allentown superintendent makes it clear: "We are not ending football"

FROM KEITH GROLLER

I began my day at the Allentown School District Administration building -- at the invitation of Dr. C. Russell Mayo, the acting superintendent, and Dave Wildonger, the district's executive director of secondary education --- and we discussed the Allentown football situation. Wildonger, by the way, is a former Allen head coach.

I appreciated the invite and thought it was a very positive meeting from my standpoint and I left very impressed with Dr. Mayo and satisfied that the district, at the very top level, sees what's going on and cares about what's going on with the football situation. There have been times in the recent past when you wondered if anyone at the top cared about these ridiculously lopsided football scores and/or sports, period, in the district.

But it was made clear to me that that perception is not accurate.

Their immediate concern was the rumor going around earlier this week that Allen would have to forfeit a football game this Friday night to Nazareth, and, as reported in an earlier post, that is not true.

Allen and Dieruff will fulfill their schedules for the 2011 football season, and Dr. Mayo emphasized that while options are being explored for the future, there is absolutely no plan to end the football program in Allentown.

So, that is very good news to all of those who want to see football, and all other sports programs in the district, continue.

Dr. Mayo did not want to elaborate on what options are being explored for the future of the programs, but assured me that the district is not standing pat. That's also very good news.

By now you probably know the record: Allen is 3-50 since the start of the 2006 season, and has lost 44 straight games to Lehigh Valley Conference opponents other than Dieruff.

Since the start of the 2005 season, Dieruff is 3-60 overall with only two wins over Allen and another over Pocono Mt. East and has lost 52 straight games against Lehigh Valley Conference foes other than Allen.

And most of the LVC losses have been "Mercy Rule" games, which means the clock continually runs if the point differential is 35 points or more at halftime or at any point in the second half.

In the short term, the district is hopeful that the communities would be supportive and rally around their kids and coaches who are still working hard, still trying their best to compete. What they do not want is the kids who are participating to give up.

Much more in a column in Friday's sports section, but again, the bottom line is that football will continue at Allen and Dieruff and that the district is considering other options for the future and will be working to make something positive happen that will be good for the kids.


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