January 17, 2025 at 5:00:00 PM
Max Friedman '25
On Monday, December 9, members of the school administration sat the football team down, gave us pizza, and told us that the 131-year-long run of football at Mercersburg Academy was over. The message that was delivered to us was loud and clear: when the going gets tough, quit.Â
At least, this is how we as a team perceived the news, feeling a sense of betrayal from the school for its lack of transparency. Questions about the decision and how and why exactly it was reached have gone mostly unanswered. Was the program in trouble and were there any efforts at all to save it? Were there benchmarks set in terms of participation or wins and losses? Was the program short of funds and was any effort made to raise those funds? Were our distinguished alumni, including NFL owners, GMs, and former players, consulted? Did anyone fight for us, and did anyone imagine what Mercersburg Academy would be without football? It matters not, as the decision is final and I don’t expect we’ll ever know the full story. Therefore, I would like to share my personal experience with Mercersburg football—the program that Dr. William Mann Irvine founded in 1894, the sport that was his true passion—and honor my coaches, teammates, and every alumnus who’s worn the jersey over our 131-year history.
I didn’t expect to play football at Mercersburg, yet when choosing a boarding school, the presence of a football team was a requirement for me. I couldn’t fathom attending a school without a football program, its absence a sign that something tangible was missing. Football is synonymous with school spirit; it is the greatest representation of the pride and grit of a community. It pains me a great deal to say this, but I can state with certainty that if I were a current high school applicant, I would not apply to Mercersburg today.
I joined the team as a sophomore, full of nerves and insecurities yet wanting to be a part of the brotherhood that was obvious from the stands. What I found in our team was life-changing. Mercersburg football gave me a sense of purpose, confidence, and pride. Together, my brothers and I found routine, direction, and the value of determination. We learned to trust each other in a way that no other experience in my life has allowed, and with it, we all found a place where we truly belonged. I’ve watched many of my teammates enter with the same nerves and doubts in themselves as I had and leave changed people—humble yet strong, honest, and resilient.
As a multi-sport athlete, I know that there is something profoundly special about football. Football is a metaphor for life; each and every play you’re knocked down and you have to get back up. Sometimes you get up on your own, other times a teammate lends you a hand. Often, the hand that is extended belongs to your opponent, who, just a second before, you were wrestling to the ground with every ounce of your being. Football is honor; there is simply no other sport which breeds individuals of strength, intelligence, leadership, empathy, and character like it. The memories of playing this game are irreplaceable to me; no amount of money or academic pride will ever replace the value of football in a young man’s life. We, those who have worn this proud uniform, are better students, better friends, better humans, and we will be more successful in life because of the values bestowed upon us by this game.
Dr. William Mann Irvine founded this institution to rear young people suited to be admirable members and leaders of society. Without football, our community has lost a part of its history, its tradition, and its mission that cannot be replaced.