Senior football on hold at Denis Morris
One of the iconic senior football programs in Niagara is taking what the school hopes is a one-year leave of absence.
It was decided Tuesday that the Denis Morris Reds senior team would not field a squad this season.
“We are folding for this year,” Denis Morris principal Dan DiLorenzo said. “We had 45 juniors strong, but we didn’t the bodies at senior.
“We are going with a junior team and it is a rebuilding year.”
In practices leading to the start of the season, there was never more than 20 players at senior practices and most days, there were only 14 or 15 players out. Those numbers aren’t even close to being able to field a competitive senior squad.
Given the school’s long history of football success and the number of graduating players who have gone on to excel at higher levels, it was a painful and agonizing decision for the school to make.
“It was very hard and that’s why it took us from our first practice last Tuesday until today to make the decision,” DiLorenzo said. “We gave them every opportunity, we had meetings and we were looking for boys who would play but it wasn’t there.
“You can’t force a sport like football.”
Denis Morris could have combined the juniors and senior to field a varsity squad, but that wasn’t a choice that was even contemplated.
“We didn’t feel it was prudent to bring up 40 juniors to play when you are playing kids who are 12B, 18 years old and fully grown against 100-pound Grade 9 players,” DiLorenzo said. “We felt it was in everybody’s best interest looking at the safety factor to play at the junior level and rebuild into the future.
“We have a strong base for that right now.”
DiLorenzo is hoping it will only be a one-year absence.
“It was a one-year blip because we didn’t have the players and many of our players are going to play at Holy Cross so they will be joining the Raiders.”
As of Tuesday, DiLorenzo said four players have decided to join the Holy Cross team.
“We made sure that that avenue was available for them and that also went into the decision making that those who were serious about the game could have somewhere to go play.”
Last season, Holy Cross folded its senior team for one year and its players went and played at St. Francis. The willingness of other schools to welcome players from another school shows the brotherhood of the Niagara Catholic Athletic Association.
“That is what it’s about,” DiLorenzo said.
Last season, the Reds went 2-4 in the regular season and tied for fifth place with St. Francis.
