Football: Outlaws to return to 2A ranks

Published 12:45 pm Monday, February 5, 2024

WILSONVILLE — After numerous meetings, written correspondence and hand-wringing on the part of coaches statewide, the Oregon School Activities Association’s Executive Board approved recommendations from its Football Ad Hoc Committee on Monday, Feb. 5.

The recommendations include returning the Enterprise football team to the 2A Special District 6 after playing 8-man football last season.

The widely expected move comes due to the Outlaws’ success on the field last year.

Due to the number of wins by Enterprise and a playoff win in the 8-man ranks, Enterprise will return to the 2A 9-man level effective for the fall season. Opponents in the 2A Special District 6 in the fall will include Grant Union, Heppner, Irrigon, Riverside, Stanfield and Weston-McEwen.

Enterprise will have the second-smallest student population in 2A Special District 6.

The remaining two county teams — Joseph Charter School and Wallowa High School — will remain playing 6-man football after much discussion over the past months regarding student population numbers. In numerous ad hoc meetings, there was discussion to change student numbers, potentially forcing Joseph and possibly Wallowa to the 8-man ranks. In the end, the decision was made to allow students with 59 and fewer students to remain in the 6-man ranks.

Joseph and Wallowa remain in the 1A 6-Man Special District 1 with opponents Dayville/Monument/Long Creek, Echo, Harper, Huntington, Jordan Valley, Pine Eagle, Prairie City/Burnt River, South Wasco County and Spray/Mitchell/Wheeler.

The formula used by the OSAA to determine school student population places Eagle football (57 students) and Cougar football (50 students) in the same district as Jordan Valley football (10 students).

The OSAA’s formula takes into account a school’s average daily membership, but subtracts what it calls a “socioeconomic factor” derived from the number of students receiving free or reduced-price lunches. The resulting number does not correspond to a school’s actual enrollment.