BREAKING: Saxony Lutheran to add football in fall

In a Wednesday press conference, Saxony Lutheran principal Mark Ruark announced that the school would be adding a football program this fall.

The Crusaders will start with a JV program in 2024 and the plan is to have varsity football in 2025.

“It’s just a great day,” Ruark said. “I love watching our kids perform. Whether it be in a musical, on the basketball court or on the volleyball court, as a principal, that’s what I love to see.”

During the press conference held in front of students, faculty and board members, Ruark said the school has the initial $100,000 in funding needed for equipment to begin the program as well as a $300,000 commitment for field improvements to the soccer and football playing surfaces.

Helping lead the charge to bring football to Saxony Lutheran on the strategic processes committee was Dr. Ross Bennett.

“We had a steering committee that did a full review of Saxony,” Bennett said. “We had alumni, we had current teachers, we had parents and we had community leaders all come together and do a full evaluation of Saxony. Out of that committee came the recommendation that the time was right for us to add football.”

Ruark said “they don’t anticipate” any home games being played at Saxony Lutheran in the first season.

Despite that, athletic director Sam Sides said he has already got to work with finding teams to play in the school’s inaugural season.

“Once (Ruark) told me it was going to happen I started sending emails,” Sides said. “I’ve already got six schools that have contacted me and now it’s just a matter of working out the details.”

Ruark also noted that while no coaches have been hired, the school has a pretty good idea of who the coaching staff will be.

Bennett said the choice for head coach is one that is exciting to him and the people involved.

“Having a person who we believe will be the first coach of Saxony football with his Christian background paired with his football knowledge,” Bennett explained. “It made it a unique time to move forward with the program.”

In terms of a timeline for when the coaching staff will be announced Sides said, “when it happens, it happens.”

Perhaps the biggest question is how the addition of football will impact participation in fall sports like soccer, something Sides said was considered.

“We have conflicts now,” Sides said. “Our policy has been and to my knowledge it will stay the same that they can play multiple sports if they want to. There are requirements and it is physically challenging.”