MIDDLEBURG – Many people at Midd-West High School have been asking to start a football program for years and it looks like it will become a reality. Thanks to the NFL’s new High School Kick Start program, Midd-West is likely to receive a three-year grant to start its football program.
Superintendent Rick Musselman, “As far as I know, it’s pretty much a done deal. Midd-West will be the school district that will be presented to the NFL to do their kick start program, and they will help fund our brand new football program.”
The school district was first told by PIAA District 4 President James Zack. Musselman says Midd-West was the only school in Pennsylvania to be recommended to the NFL by the PIAA for the grant. During the first three years supported by the NFL, the school boosters will use that time to raise funds.
Musselman also says the money used from paying the school’s co-op with East Juniata will now be shifted toward the program, “What we would be able to do is actually set those dollars aside so we can get that built up and actually have a reserve that we can continue to be able to pay for football. We feel confident we’ll be able to sustain that and it won’t a huge hit to our budget at all.”
Musselman also says the program should start and be able to sustain a good amount of players, “We have midget and pee-wee football that the numbers are very strong and we do extremely well. But when they would come over to the high school, that co-op was all that we could do. they never wore mustang colors, they were wearing East Juniata Tiger colors. So this is going to be an opportunity for us to build more pride in our school.”
Depending on how fast the finalizing process moves, Midd-West’s first football season could be as soon as next season. (Matt Catrillo)
