School board approves proposal to bring back Doniphan football program

DONIPHAN, Mo. -- After more than 16 years of attempts to bring the sport he loves back to his alma mater, the third time was the charm for Gary Pennington.

The Doniphan school board voted Tuesday night to accept the Doniphan for Football Inc. proposal, which would bring football back to the school after a more than 30-year hiatus in three to four years.

The approval does not guarantee a football program immediately, but allows the committee to start raising funds with donors knowing this time it will actually happen if the goal is met.

The total amount needed by the time the varsity level is reached in three to four years is $400,000.

"It's exciting news. Now is the time we've got to go to work though," said Pennington, who has spearheaded the movement to bring football back since 2000. "It's hurdle No. 1 and the next hurdle is of course funding the thing, but we have high hopes."

With the boards approval, the school will have to pay $25,000 per year over four years for costs that cannot be privately funded as long as the committee's goals are met.

"The Doniphan R-I Board of Education is proud that our patrons have shown an interest in the students of this community and are willing to support the endeavor of raising necessary funds to bring football to the District's sports offerings," Doniphan Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Snyder said in a statement. "Â…the Board approved for the Doniphan 2016 Football Committee to bring football back to the District's offerings provided they raise the funding outlined in their proposal.

"The District will support their efforts by providing coaching stipends, transportation expenses, and insurance."

Doniphan currently offers baseball, softball, volleyball and cross country at the varsity level during the fall and is one of the largest schools among MSHSAA member schools that does not play football.

The Dons football team played from 1970-79.

There's still a long way to go but Football for Doniphan Inc. is off to a good start.

Pennington and his committee are well on their way to raising enough money by end of school year in May to start a junior high program this fall. They already have agreements for about $100,000, an amount which is more than enough to fund the first phase of the program, Pennington said, but he doesn't want to stop there.

"We do have a little head start so that will help us some, but we can't just settle for that," he said. "I also think we need to prove that we're well on our way to showing we're going to get the whole thing so that they're confident that three years down the road they're not going to get stuck with the bill, and this is a good way to start."

The junior high program, which will most likely be a combined seventh and eighth grade squad, will not have a stadium in its first year and all games will be played on the road.

However, plans to build a dressing room, weight room and the purchase of equipment by next fall are already in the works, Pennington said, and the sight for a practice field has been picked out.

"Our implementation plan, as far as I see it, is getting the junior high program going, and we're pretty much already there," Pennington said. "Really all we need is a dressing room and to get the coaches hired, which is what the school's responsibility would be this year.

"We're going to try to make a great program, look at it from both sides and try to make it work or the kids, which is of utmost importance."

Football for Doniphan Inc., which was formed into a non-profit just last week, will hold its first real board meeting Thursday night where it hopes to hash out ideas to reduce cost and raise money.

Pennington said the committee already has a program set up for people to donate to a future stadium, which he hopes to break ground on in a year. In the near future, websites and other donation programs will also be started.

"We're going to finalize some things and answers some questions Thursday, and obviously if we can reduce some expenses somewhere, that's the same as saving money," Pennington said. "We're looking at private contributions immediately because up until the end of the school year is when we need to show a lot of commitment to make the school board confident, but eventually we'll probably start up a Go Fund Me account so old alums, members of the community can access us because we realize too that they're contributions are important in getting this going."