Huntington St. Joe revived baseball and softball programs last season, but football will have to wait.
Irish athletic director Todd Maynard confirmed the school canceled its 2024 season Friday. The reason was not enough players came out for summer workouts. The program had about one dozen players.
òòò½ÊÓƵœYes, for this season,òòò½ÊÓƵ Maynard said, not ruling out the school will try again in 2025. òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™re not dissolving the program. We still have a passion and a vision for it.òòò½ÊÓƵ
St. Joe last fielded a football team in the early 1940s. In 2022, discussions took place for a revival of the program. In January of 2023, Ripley native Adam Hill was hired as head coach. Hill, a former Huntington High and Spring Valley assistant, stepped down and in June was replaced by Dustin Hatfield, a former Hurricane High assistant coach.
òòò½ÊÓƵœWith so few kids, it was a little risky to start a season,òòò½ÊÓƵ Hatfield said. òòò½ÊÓƵœWeòòò½ÊÓƵ™ll hang in there, restructure it and rebuild it.òòò½ÊÓƵ
St. Joe features about 50 boys enrolled in grades nine through 12, making it the 17th-smallest school in West Virginia. Of the other 16, Meadow Bridge, Van, Weirton Madonna, Paden City, Hundred and Trinity Christian are the only to field football programs.
Maynard said he, Hill and principal Carol Templeton discussed the status of the program and made the decision to cancel the 2024 season.
The Irish were scheduled to open their schedule Aug. 30 at Hannan, one of five schools in the Tri-State on the St. Joe schedule. The Irish were slated to play at Tolsia Sept. 6, at Symmes Valley Sept. 20, at Rock Hill Sept. 27 and at home vs. Coal Grove Oct. 4. Maynard said he hopes those programs can find opponents to replace the Irish.
Maynard said some of the players who came out for summer drills will play at Huntington High, but still attend St. Joe.
òòò½ÊÓƵœCoach (Billy) Seals and (athletic director) Bruce Senior at Huntington High have been great about it,òòò½ÊÓƵ Maynard said.
St. Joe will field a middle school team, giving Maynard and Hatfield hope for the future.
Tim Stephens is a sports writer with The Herald-Dispatch.
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