ZANESVILLE--Bishop Rosecrans’ first year head football coach Gage Lotozo says he knew what he was up against after last season, when the team only had 17 players.

• More high school athletes play football than any other sport in Ohio, but the number of students playing football is falling and some schools can no longer field enough players for the traditional 11-on-11 game
• There are currently eight teams playing eight-player football in Ohio
• The OHSAA doesn't recognize eight-on-eight football as an official sport

Participation rates were low over the summer, and coming into the new school year there were only 13 kids on the team, seven of them seniors.

The school, which has made the playoffs five times in the last decade, made a decision to cancel its 10 game OHSAA schedule in favor of 8-man football and an eight-game schedule. 

Lotozo says many factors are to blame.

“We just haven't been able to keep the middle school program where it is to keep a nice little feeder program,” said Lotozo. “We're always struggling, guessing if we're gonna get this kid, if we're gonna get that kid. With a small freshman class that came in, it was kind of the storm that hit.”

Bishop Rosecrans, which has an enrollment of over 100 students, is one of eight teams across the state playing 8-man football in Ohio.

The others Division Seven teams are: Toledo Christian, Sandusky Central Catholic, St. John School, Holgate, Danbury, Elyria Open Door Christian and Stryker. 

And while they won't be able to compete for the state playoffs or a Division Seven championship, this group of seven seniors continue to set goals.

'We just have to do the best with the hand we've been dealt, and just go out there and compete and win every game. We have a chance to go undefeated this year and we fully expect to,” said Rosecrans Senior Quarterback Cameron Hagy. 

According to the OHSAA, the state still has around 40,000 student athletes playing football, but that number is down almost 6,000 from 10 years ago.

At this time, OHSAA officials say they don't have any plans to make 8-man football a recognized sport in our state.

“Next four or five years something is going to have to be done to help some of the smaller schools, the schools with enrollments around 150 or 100. This is going to be an option for them to either become a more competitive football program or just keep the football program alive in general,” said Lotozo.

The field dimensions are different from left to right —40 yards instead of 52.

There are also two less linemen on offense and one less skilled position.

However, the basic fundamentals of the game still remain the same.

“Same game, same tackling, you still have to tackle, still have to score, still have to work hard. So yeah, if I were a school that was struggling, I would highly recommend it,” said Junior Wide Receiver, Thomas Spohn. 

Lotozo says the goal is to still get back to playing 11-man football by the 2021 season.