Football merger evolving

More participants from Babbitt may lead to home game in ’24

“Friday Night Lights” might make a return to Babbitt as soon as this fall.

The high school football cooperative between Ely and Northeast Range is growing, and officials from both schools are talking about the possibility of a home game to be played in Babbitt during the 2024 season.

“We have a possible date in mind,” said Tom Coombe, athletic director at Ely High School. “We don’t know if it’s going to happen but it’s at least in the talking stages.”

The schools came together for football in 2021, with Ely struggling to keep its program going at the time and with Northeast Range ending theirs because of dwindling participation.

The merger has progressed slowly, with few Northeast Range participants the first season and numbers inching up since.

Ely football coach Louie Gerzin met with about 20 potential players for 2024 on Monday, easily the highest total since the cooperative was formed.

The schools have come together for several sports during the last few years, with Ely generally serving as the host school - except in girls swimming.

Football is the sport with the highest concentration of students from Northeast Range.

“It has evolved and it’s one where we really need the participants from Northeast Range for our football program,” Coombe told school board members Monday. “Coach Gerzin is very cognizant of that and he and I were over at the Northeast Range school on Monday, and he met with some students.”

Coombe said that Northeast Range school officials will work on their end to make sure the football field in Babbitt, last used for high school games in 2020, is safe and playable for next season.

If so, it’s possible that the Wolves’ second game of the year in 2024 would be held in Babbitt, either during the day or at night.

Also in the works is a possible C-squad game in Babbitt and perhaps a week of practice there during the August preseason period.

“We’re talking about having a week of practice there as transportation has been a real issue,” said Coombe. “It’s easier for their students to get here during the school year so we talked about maybe cutting the summer problem in half so we do a week over there and they only need to get over here one week instead of two.”

Coombe said Gerzin is “very supportive of building that bond” with Northeast Range as Ely looks to build its depth and compete in the 11-man football ranks.

Even by combining students from both schools, the football program had 43 participants last season in grades 7-12.

“We’ll see where it goes,” said Coombe. “The numbers from Northeast Range really bolster our roster and really ensure that we are able to continue to have a football program. I think we have to bend a little and reach out a little bit to make this work.”