There are two weeks left in high school football’s regular season. Games scheduled for tonight (Friday) and next Thursday will determine who advances into the playoffs. Sunshine Bible Academy near Miller is doing pretty well this season, and could get into the post-season, despite just 14 players on the roster.
Four seniors are on the football roster for the Sunshine Bible Crusaders this fall. They’re joined by ten teammates, for 14 players available to the team. That’s the smallest roster in South Dakota high school football this year. Compare that to a school in 11-Triple-A, Brandon Valley, which has about 70 players ready to go. Veteran Sunshine Bible Coach Jamie McClain says most seasons, the school from near Miller struggles for numbers.
“I first started in 1988, and through the 90s, we averaged probably about 15. And then in the early 2000s, we had kind of an uptick in our enrollment, and I think we probably had about 30. I think between 2005 and 2010 we averaged 25—and then in the last couple of years, we sort of dipped again; especially with the population on the boys’ side,” says McClain.
The Crusaders play in 9-B, South Dakota’s smallest class, and they sit with a three win, four loss record. Sunshine Bible closes at home today against unbeaten Potter County. With a bye in the final week of the season, McClain and his squad will have to spend a few days without any idea what the post-season will bring.
“Actually, for us, it’s gonna be kind of a unique week, because our seniors take their senior trip, and they leave Tuesday night. And the rest of our classes have what’s known as ‘Servant Days,’ so they’re not gonna be on campus. So, yeah—it’s gonna be interesting to be sure. We’ll have practice Monday and Tuesday, and we’ll find out later in the week. And when we come back Monday, we’ll just have to prepare specifically for whoever we happen to be playing.”
Sunshine Bible’s last trip to the playoffs came two seasons ago, when 21 players made up the team. The Crusaders lost to Faith, 40-16, in Round One.