HUDSON — The Hudson High football team will move from Class B to Class C, starting this Fall, according to head coach John Davi.
The reason for the move is a drop in enrollment numbers. The cut-off numbers for Class C are 261-396 students and for Class B, 397-629.
Hudson’s other sports programs will continue to compete in Class B.
“Like everyone else in recent years the number of kids coming out for football has seen a significant decline,” Davi said. “That has definitely had an affect on our program. I can’t tell you how many times this past season our sideline had 19 or 20 players and we looked across the field and the opposing team had over 40 players.
“It will be good to be able to play with schools that are the same size as we are. No matter what the classification these programs are well run and and loaded with talent. The cross county competition is always fun as well. We look forward to the upcoming season.”
The move to Class C will renew rivalries with Columbia County schools Taconic Hills and Ichabod Crane and Catskill/Cairo-Durham and Coxsackie-Athens in Greene County, all of whom will be in the Class C South Division with Hudson.
Voorheesville, Watervliet and Rensselaer, which has merged with Loudonville Christian for football, will round out the South Division.
The Class C North Division is comprised of Cobeskill-Richmondville, Corinth/Lake George/Hadley Luzerne, Canajoharie/Fort Plain, Fonda-Fultonville, Hoosick Falls-Tamarac, Johnstown, Mechanicville and Schuylerville.
Cobleskill, like Hudson, has competed in recent years in the Class B division, while Canajoharie-Fort Plain and Voorheesville are returning to Class C after spending the past several seasons in Class D.
Four teams from each division will make the playoffs, which will run for three weeks, culminating with the Class C Super Bowl the weekend of Nov. 12-13.
Fall practice will begin on August 23, with Week 1 slated for the weekend of Sept. 10-11. Scrimmages will be held the weekend of Sept. 3-4.
Chatham will remain a Class D team for football and will compete in the South Division along with Bishop Gibbons, Cohoes, Helderberg Valley and Hoosic Valley.
Bishop Gibbons had played as part of a three-team merger with Bishop Maginn and Catholic Central known as Holy Trinity the past several seasons, but will now go it alone. Maginn and Catholic Central will not field teams this Fall.
The 2021 schedule for area Class C teams:
HUDSON
Sept. 10: vs. Ichabod Crane; Sept. 17: vs. Rensselaer; Sept. 24: at Coxsackie-Athens; Oct. 1: vs. Catskill/Cairo-Durham; Oct. 9: at Voorheesville; Oct. 15: vs. Taconic Hills; Oct. 22: at Watervliet; Oct. 29-30: playoffs/crossover; Nov. 5-6: playoffs/crossover.
CATSKILL/CAIRO-DURHAM
Sept. 10: vs. Coxsackie-Athens; Sept. 18: at Voorheesville; Sept. 24: vs. Watervliet; Oct. 1: at Hudson; Oct. 8: at Taconic Hills; Oct. 15: vs. Rensselaer; Oct. 22: at Ichabod Crane; Oct. 29-30: playoffs/crossover; Nov. 5-6: playoffs/crossover.
COXSACKIE-ATHENS
Sept. 10: at Catskill-Cairo-Durham; Sept. 17: at Ichabod Crane; Sept. 24: vs. Hudson; Oct. 1: at Taconic Hills; Oct. 8: vs. Watervliet; Oct. 16: at Voorheesville; Oct 22: vs. Rensselaer; Oct. 29-30 playoffs/crossover; Nov. 5-6: playoffs/crossover.
ICHABOD CRANE
Sept. 10: at Hudson; Sept. 17: vs. Coxsackie-Athens; Sept. 24: at Taconic Hills; Oct. 1: vs. Voorheesville; Oct. 8: at Rensselaer; Oct. 15: vs. Watervliet; Oct. 22: vs. Catskill/Cairo-Durham; Oct. 29-30: playoffs/crossover; Nov. 5-6: playoffs/crossover.
TACONIC HILLS
Sept. 10: at Rensselaer; Sept. 17: at Watervliet; Sept. 24: vs. Ichabod Crane; Oct. 1: vs. Coxsackie-Athens; Oct. 8: vs. Catskill/Cairo-Durham; Oct. 15: at Hudson; Oct. 22: vs. Voorheesville; Oct. 29-30: playoffs/crossover; Nov. 5-6: playoffs/crossover.