BREAKING: Saxony Lutheran to add football in fall

Wednesday, January 24, 2024

Saxony Lutheran principal Mark Ruark speaks after presenting the first football in Saxony Lutheran program history on Wednesday, Jan. 24, at Saxony Lutheran High School.

Clay Herrell ~ cherrell@semoball.com

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.”

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This will hurt Notre Dame's enrollment numbers.

-- Posted by Ohweeohahaha on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 2:13 PM
How will this hurt ND's enrollment numbers?? One school is Catholic and other is Lutheran.

-- Posted by gocardinals987 on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 2:27 PM
Saxony should schedule some starter games with Valle, Desmet and CBC….

-- Posted by UFO on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 2:47 PM
Ohwee….Notre Dame’s enrollment will not suffer in the least. What’s your basis for making that statement?

-- Posted by Proud PaPa on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 3:32 PM
There is an outside chance that it could hurt Notre Dame's enrollment simply based on the fact that not all of those who attend Notre Dame are Catholic. Just as not all of Saxony's students are Lutheran. Both schools will take your money, regardless of what religious denomination you are.

-- Posted by Sandinista on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 5:50 PM
This is a great opportunity for those students who want to play football and attend a non-public high school in the region. I would anticipate they will get students graduating from area parochial elementary schools in both Cape and Perry Counties. Best wishes Saxony with this endeavor!

-- Posted by full house mom on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 6:24 PM
Sandista, really hard to follow how anything you stated had anything to do with Saxony starting a football program. But I do know public school districts take your money regardless if you have a student attending or not.

-- Posted by MCL on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 6:31 PM
This is VERY big news for Cape Girardeau County. As stated in previous posts, your religious affiliation is not a prerequisite to attend any of our local private schools. This will be a game changer(no pun intended) for parents in this region who previously had only one option for high school if their child wanted to play football. Solid Christian based education plus football now, you can bet enrollment will undoubtedly increase.

-- Posted by UltraRightDad on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 6:45 PM
They certainly do, as they should. You live in the district, you should pay your share.

I was responding to a person's comment that football might hurt Notre Dame and regarding the fact that they said that it wouldn't because Notre Dame is Catholic and Saxony was Lutheran. Many people outside the private school world have no idea how many students attend those schools that aren't of their religious denomination. That's what I meant. Heck, I'm happy for Saxony. They are providing a chance for more participation for their constituents and may pick up some more students (which means more $) in the process.

-- Posted by Sandinista on Wed, Jan 24, 2024, at 6:51 PM
Exactly what SANDINISTA said... I woukd say almost 40% of the kids who attend Notre Dame are not catholic, they attend ND simply for their excellent education and pathway to college. Saxony getting a football team will lure kids to go there to play football. Just as when Kelly got a football team ND's enrollment #'s dropped slightly.

-- Posted by Ohweeohahaha on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 6:45 AM
Good work Saxony. This will provide excellent opportunity for those who prefer private schooling. I believe that number is growing. I agree, Notre Dame missed the bus on this one.

Having football completes the high school experience. This creates opportunity for players, fans, cheer and marching band. The whole school benefits

-- Posted by Sagamore on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 7:31 AM
I assume they are still keeping boy's soccer, which is the same time as football. I'm concerned about getting enough quality players to maintain both at a competitive level. I don't know of any other schools of Saxony's size that have both boy's soccer and football, except possibly some private STL schools.

-- Posted by cardsfan53 on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 10:22 AM
Had no idea this was a bigger deal for ND then it was for Saxony.

-- Posted by MCL on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 11:08 AM
I have the same concern cardsfan53, but pray that it will work out. Principia is smaller than Saxony and does have a competitive soccer program, but has a co-op with Whitfield to field a not very competitive football team. I am not aware of a school smaller than Saxony that has both sports other than Christian High School in O’Fallon which now has JV football. Christian won 7 district titles in 11 years in soccer prior to starting football – and now has had the worst 2 year record in their soccer history. The Saxony soccer team has won 7 district titles in the last 10 years – and I pray that both the soccer program and the new football program are able to be competitive going forward. Regarding ND, I believe at one time ND was the largest school in the state that did not have football, but I do not know if that is true today. Perhaps Saxony’s announcement will be a catalyst to get ND to reconsider.

-- Posted by johndaniel on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 1:45 PM
I sincerely hope it works, Mr. Daniel. I admire what Saxony is doing.

-- Posted by cardsfan53 on Thu, Jan 25, 2024, at 6:35 PM
Saxony should make an attempt at adding wrestling too if they're going to add football. In fact more smaller schools should add wrestling. Helps football players a lot especially your lineman, linebackers, RBs.

-- Posted by WWE Guru on Fri, Jan 26, 2024, at 6:39 AM
My family has a Saxony graduate and we are ecstatic for them! I'm not sure all of the back and forth with the ND and Saxony because we always have wished the best for both schools. I personally think this is a great thing for this school. Just wish it could've happened before ours graduated there. Best of luck Saxony!

-- Posted by Boxersx2 on Fri, Jan 26, 2024, at 7:43 AM
I was able to attend the announcement in front of the students yesterday. Just seeing the excitement in the students faces was awesome. They are pumped.

Adding a football program should add students to the school which creates a larger pool of students for all sports. Saxony is extremely good about creating multi-sport opportunities for students.

As far as soccer is concerned, its worth noting that Saxony won 6 straight district championships in Class 1 from 2014-2019. Since moving to Class 2, the program has 1 title in 4 years. That is not a knock on soccer at all- Coach Crawford does an awesome job with both soccer programs. Moving up in class almost always results in a more difficult road to success.

I think its important to discuss how adding football could benefit soccer as well. Since none of the main feeder schools play junior high football, most Saxony students will have never played football before. A few of those good athletes will decide they don't like certain aspects of football. Those kids may choose to then play soccer.

Also by adding football, the current Saxony soccer/track&field complex will likely receive permanent bleachers and lights for the first time. I have not seen a master plan for the campus but I would think a permanent on-site concession stand and public restrooms would be added as well. Those upgrades will serve the student athletes as well as the families and community that support them- that will benefit boys and girls soccer plus track and field in addition to the new football program.

-Ross Bennett

-- Posted by bennettfamilydentistry on Fri, Jan 26, 2024, at 12:28 PM
Soccer team will suffer.

Splitting small school athletes between 2 fall sports is a recipe for mediocrity.

-- Posted by UFO on Fri, Jan 26, 2024, at 10:48 PM
Just fold soccer…everyone wins

-- Posted by caniplay on Fri, Feb 2, 2024, at 5:55 AM

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