The Canistota/Freeman football team, which has been a powerhouse the past four years in 9-man South Dakota high school football, is ending their cooperative with each other.
On Monday night, the Canistota school board voted 4-1 in favor of this move.
But why? After all, Canistota/Freeman won three straight state football championships in 9A (’18, ’19, and ’20) and were just runner-up this year in 9AA to only Platte-Geddes. It ultimately comes down to the numbers as a cooperative. If the co-op were to remain in place, Canistota/Freeman would likely have to move up to 11B this coming fall. By dissolving the co-op, this allows Canistota to remain in 9-man football, and gives Freeman the chance to find another potential co-op partner.
As pointed out by The Courier in Freeman, Canistota has the numbers to be successful in 9-man football by themselves, but for Freeman, a majority of their kids are underclassmen.
The Courier in Freeman also acquired this statement from Freeman Superintendent Jake Tietje after the Canistota/Freeman school board’s vote on Monday night.
“I look forward to what’s next for Freeman Public. One door closes, another door opens, and I’m excited for the opportunity that we have moving forward,” said Tietje. “[We’re] very excited to have conversations with districts that we’ve met with and have shown interest in being a part of a cooperative.”
For the past four years, Canistota/Freeman has been The Pride. With this split, Canistota will return to being the Hawks. Freeman, who is the Flyers, will examine all of their football options moving forward.
