The fledgling SAW Youth Football high school team (next year’s grade 8-12 are accepted) has announced that they will be playing the bulk of their home games on the old girls’ soccer/softball complex off the Walker Road in Hodgdon.
“Jimmy Griffin (Hodgdon Town Manager) tells me it will take some work to get it ready,” said league president Steve Martin. “Apparently some vehicles have been out on it and ripped it up pretty good.”
The field hasn’t been used for several years, as the soccer teams play on the new field up behind the Mill Pond School.
“Fortunately, we don’t need fences and there are no field goal posts needed in this league,” said Martin. “With some seeding and rolling, we should be set to go for the fall.”
The team will be playing approximately three to four home games at the Walker Road complex against squads from Aroostook County and farther downstate, but will practice at the Airport Field in Houlton to accommodate Canadian travel. It is hoped that one home game will be played at Woodstock High School late in the season.
Additionally, the league has announced that 25 players have now taken out papers to play for the new high school team, including nine from Hodgdon High School, four each from Katahdin High School and G.H.C.A., three each from Hartland and Woodstock high schools in Canada, as well as a couple of home-schoolers.
“We are going to be big upfront, and we have some really promising skill position players lining up as well,” added Martin. “We’ve added a strength and conditioning coach, Josh Holcombe (of Houlton) who can double as our athletic trainer, and are waiting on final word from a couple other prospective coaches, so things are moving along well on that front.”
Mike Grant of Hartland, N.B. will be the team’s statistician.
The team will soon be announcing a mini-camp on a Saturday in April for all enlisted players and is reminding the community that all donations to the organization are tax exempt.
“We are going to have a lot of expenses this first year, and any assistance folks can give us would be greatly appreciated,” added Martin.
A team representative can be reached at 532-3635 or by e-mailing: mepatriot@juno.com.
