A mutual parting for Horsemen

No hard feelings after Plains and Hot Springs split football

team

HOT SPRINGS - For the past ten seasons Hot Springs and Plains have shared not only a football team, but all of the passion, sense of community and pride that go with it.

In 2011, however, each will have to find their own gridiron identity as the two will be on different sidelines for the first time in a decade.

"I feel, if a school can have an independent program, the better it is for the community and the better it is for the school," Hot Springs Athletic Director Chris Clairmont said. "It'll be hard to get used to the change, but I think people are ready for it."

"It's bitter-sweet for us. I think that the co-op really created a lot of long lasting good memo-ries and some competitive foot-ball," Plains Athletic Director Orin Kendall said. "They've got enough now to have their own program and I don't think anyone can fault them for wanting to go that way."

When St. Regis and Alberton made the switch to six-man football, it brought the sport to the Western part of the state for the first time in decades. Combine that with Hot Springs' promising enrollment numbers, and it seemed the opportune time for the Savage Heat to begin their own program.

Although Hot Springs has yet to be officially released from the co-op by Plains, or admitted into Class C standing by the MHSA, both steps appear to be formalities at this point.

"I think this decision for Hot Springs, in all honesty, was a win-win. Whichever way they voted their kids were going to have an opportunity to play football and I think that's what it's all about," Kendall said. "We certainly aren't going to deny them the opportunity to play six-man football under the Savage Heat ban-ner."

After informal discussions with Hot Springs Superintendant Kenny Marjerrison, Clairmont asked the school board for permission to investigate the interest in the community and student body in beginning an independent foot-ball program at their meeting last month.

Clairmont and Marjerrison were surprised by how swiftly the board acted when they voted to break from the co-op last week in order to ensure they would meet the MHSA deadline to join Class C and begin their football program next fall.

"Neither of us really thought that the board would take action that night, but we wanted to present the information just so they had a look at it. They thought it was compelling enough to be able to make a move," Clairmont said.

It took much less time to disband the co-op then it did to form it. According to Kendall, who was head football coach at the time,