The Boyer Valley Board of Education has done an “about-face” on switching from 8-man to 11-man football for the 2012 and 2013 seasons. During a special meeting held Wednesday night in Dunlap, the board reversed a 6-0 decision they made last week, during which they approved changing from 8 man to 11 man football for the next two-years.

In a unanimous decision Wednesday though, the board elected to continue with 8 man football. According to Iowa High School Athletic Association rules, the district had until today (Thursday), to make their final decision.

The meeting last Monday caused quite a stir in the Boyer Valley School District. After Boyer Valley Superintendent Thomas Vint and Coach Jay Petersen discussed the matter further, they recommended the district stick with 8 man football. Petersen was quoted in the Denison Bulletin as saying, “Vint asked me if we wanted to play 8 man football the next two years and I said yes. That was the only input I had.”

After much deliberation from school board members, coaches, students and parents, the special meeting was scheduled, and the previous decision reversed. Boyer Valley went 6-4 the previous two years in 8 man and qualified for the state playoffs.