Sewickley Academy teaming up with Moon Area School District for high school football co-op partnership
SEWICKLEY, Pa. (KDKA) -- Sewickley Academy students are about to get their first chance to play football, but they won't be fielding a full team on their own.
Sewickley promises the partnership with Moon Area schools will create a dynamic football program.
Moon is coming off a 6-6 season. Sewickley thinks they can help, and school leaders are excited about the chance.
Students have walked the halls at Sewickley Academy for nearly 200 years, but in all that time, they've never had the chance to play football, like many other schools in Western Pennsylvania.
"It's a way of life here, and it's a way of life for some of the kids we have at the academy," Sewickley Academy Athletic Director Mike Scerbo said.
Scerbo says that's exactly why they've been trying to change. The issue is, that while the interest is there, it's not enough for them to form their own team.
"This was the best option we had for us to find someone we could partner with that would be willing to let our kids come over and play for them," Scerbo added.
They found that partner just across the Ohio River in Moon Township. Sewickley Middle and High School students can take the field for Moon Area schools this fall.
"They're going to have an opportunity to play for a great school, on a great team, with a great coaching staff. I had the opportunity to meet the coach on a trip over there; a phenomenal leader, a great coach, [and] a tremendous staff, so it's really going to be great for all of us."
This partnership goes beyond football. They will share administrative support and facilities.
"I think it's important to remember we are trying to service young people in their overall education. Sewickley Academy is an outstanding institution when it comes to athletics, but we want to go beyond that, whether it's the arts, whether it's athletics, we want to provide opportunities that will help them grow as young people," said Scerbo.
Sewickley Academy says they tried to partner with Quaker Valley at first, but that didn't happen because it would've forced Quaker Valley to move up a class in the PIAA.