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Karabek’s Karen Baker (left) and Oak Hill’s Carly Austin battle for the ball during the women’s soccer match on September 30 in Wales. Russ Dillingham/The Sun Journal

AUGUSTA — Jeff LaRochelle knows his men’s and women’s soccer teams will play this fall. Rangeley Lakes Area High School Athletic What the director doesn’t know yet is what the game will look like.

High school soccer in Maine plans to add women’s and men’s 8-a-side divisions. Small-sided football could be an attractive option for schools like Rangely, who are struggling to enroll 11 players.

At least 20 women’s football programs and 19 men’s programs are expected to be able to opt for small-sided football.

The football proposal will be reviewed by the Maine Principals’ Association Classification Committee on Thursday, with possible revisions. If approved at that level, the proposal will be forwarded to the Interschool Board on his next January 26th. Small-sided football could be officially endorsed by a vote of the MPA’s general membership in April.

LaRochelle said she was intrigued by the new proposal to divide the school into north and south departments.

“I think it’s about 50/50 on what we do now,” LaRochelle said. “We’re seriously considering both options, as they have advantages and disadvantages. For every reason to choose one, you can also find other reasons to choose the other.”

It’s a decision many smaller schools face ahead of a conference that could bring Maine closer to adding its own fifth high school soccer class. The new format is an option for teams with smaller rosters who want to keep playing football, but some concerns and kinks need to be worked out before it arrives.

Oak Hill’s Eliana Smith (middle) and Karabek’s Karen Baker fetch the ball during a football match in Wales on September 30. Russ Dillingham/The Sun Journal

The possibilities for small-sided football began when 8-a-side football debuted in Maine prior to the 2019 season. His subsequent success in 8-a-side football (the sport has been added to the program every fall since his 2019) has led school administrators to believe that 8-a-side football is also a viable option. I thought it might be.

The Valley did not field a women’s soccer team in 2021, but athletic director Britani Cabassa said the new division could help solve Bingham School’s numbers dilemma.

“It means a lot to us. It’s something I’ve been thinking about since I came here a year ago,” said Cabassa, whose team is leaning towards eight players in 2023. . In a small school like ours, 11 people can push it because there aren’t many kids. We’ll see how things go this year. ”

Of course, class sizes can fluctuate from year to year, and large schools can tolerate such fluctuations, but schools like Rangeley and Valley, both of which have less than 60 enrollments, Not always.

Such schools also frequently bring in eighth graders to fill gaps in national team ranks when needed. However, these players can also choose to spend their final season of middle school in the middle school ranks.

Karabek goalkeeper Lilianna Cooley came out to save Oak Hill’s Aubrey McElhanney (center) in the game on 30 September in Wales. Russ Dillingham/The Sun Journal

“Last year we had 18 children, six of whom were seniors, so each year can be very different,” says LaRochelle. “There are seven seventh graders next year. When they get to his eighth grade, will they go to college or play middle school? You never know what those numbers will be.”

Carrabec Athletic director Erik Carey said his men’s and women’s teams are working on eights. Cobra appears to have about 14 males and he has 13 females in the fall.

Carey admitted he still has reservations about the new format, but added that it could help the sport survive in some areas.

“I worry that the team will be comfortable being there,” says Carey. “If you get used to just 11-12 depth, fewer people will be in the sport. If playing is the goal, I think more kids will get involved.”

Under the current eight-player proposal, Carabek, Rangely and Valley will be part of the 11-team Southern Maine region. The area also includes Dilligo, Greater Portland, Greenville, Searsport, Telstar, Vinalhaven, Wiscasset, Lisbon (women only) and Spruce Mountain (men only).

In the 2021 game in Auburn, Rangely defenders Lily Schaefer (right) and Brooke Laliberti (middle) keep their focus on the ball as St. Dominic Academy’s Avery Gravel kicks the ball into space. Andrei Kane/Sun Journal

In the Northern Maine region, only two programs, Schenck/Stearns and Van Buren, participated in men’s and women’s football eights. Ashland, Dexter, East Grand, Jonesport Beers, Maine School of Science and Mathematics and Southern Aroostook competed on the men’s team, while Katadine, Lee Academy, Nalaguagas, Penkis Valley, Piscatakis, Shedd and Woodland joined the women’s team.

However, these teams are still provisional. In some way he is listed as a participant in 8-a-side football, and some schools may decide to stick with his traditional 11-a-side game. This can create a ripple effect, causing other teams to make like-minded decisions to stay on the same page as their traditional opponents.

“You see your own situation, but you also see what other teams around you decide to do,” Cabassa said. Being with 11- (players) would absolutely change the situation…and we’re going to be playing against some big schools, and that’s another concern.”

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