All Systems Go (With Caveat) For Andover Football 2012.

A month and a half ago on November 3rd at the Bloomfield Hills School Board meeting District Athletic Director Cowdrey announced that a decision would be made on the 2012 Andover Varsity Football Team by early December.That way if  the program were scrubbed participants  would have a chance to make other arrangements possibly at other schools. On December 5th thanks to the efforts of   AD Cowdrey, Coach James Dewald. The Andover Touchdown Club,  School Superintendent  Robert Glass, Andover Athletic Coordinator R.J.Guizzetti , Andover Principal  Rob Durecka, and Assistant Superintendent Ed Bretzlaff  the decision  was made that that Varsity Football in 2012 had enough positive indicators to be continued. Assistant Superintendent  Betzlaff said that he hoped the enthusiasm for the Andover Football program would carry over to the 2012 new high school bond issue as well. There is however one caveat and that is the date. It is not even December 31st and the real indicators for the Andover football program  will manifest themselves around August 31st. Nothing is written in stone. Anything could happen between now and then. A meteor could strike the earth. Families could move out of the  area.The demands of the sport are rigorous especially in August. The good news that the program that could have been declared dead by now is alive, seemingly energized and on target for a Varsity 2012  Football team. The bad news is kick off is a long time away.

 In 2012 there will also be a combined Lahser/Andover Junior Varsity program. In 2013 there will also be one, high school, Bloomfield High School with a new mascot and team colors yet to be determined by students from both schools. All students will be able to participate in the latter. All may submit suggestions. Ten semi finalists will be chosen by student election. Three finalists will be chosen by the same process and finally a winner will be selected

Superintendent Robert Glass said the fate of Andover Football would impact on  more than just the athletes. It also affects the Marching Band and Cheer squads. He forgot to mention  the man  who owns the shoe repair shop who proudly puts the team picture and season schedule  in the store window.If you look behind him while he he is ringing you up you will see a backroom full of shoes  and  past year team picture/schedule posters on the walls. High School Football is a community event.

 This blog doesn't 't cover sports per se  nor do we have a sports section. The first person feature story we did on the 2011 Lahser Andover game  however is currently the 4th  most popular post of the some hundred plus stories we have done. Google tells us so. Maybe the readers liked the pictures. On line publications can do more in that regard and even add movies.  Despite our anemic coverage we get many queries from readers writing  Andover Football or Coach Dewald and most recently Coach Dewald/California.  We thought perhaps the program had been cancelled and Coach James Dewald had split for the coast. Actually it was the other way around which goes to show we lazy journalists can benefit from even modest forms of exercise like picking up the phone. District Athletic Director Cowdrey told us the good news and informed us that Coach Dewald is originally from  California. where he played for one of the most successful high school teams in that state's history. He played junior college football in California before earning  a scholarship to Western Michigan University. Like former President Gerald Ford who played Center for the University of Michigan, Dewald played Center for the WMU Broncos. Currently  Coach Dewald teaches physical education at both Lahser and Andover and is the Baron's assistant Track Coach.

As of now all systems are go for Andover Varsity Football  2012. That's T minus 266  days. to kickoff. Keep your fingers crossed, and don't step on sidewalk cracks.