NJIC Football

, Staff Writer, @seanfarrell92

Ridgefield is dropping down to the junior varsity level in football this fall.

The move was confirmed on Friday by NJIC Executive Director Stan Fryczynski.

It marks the second time in three seasons that the small, Group 1 school won’t have a varsity team.

The Royals went 0-7 last year and have had only one winning season since 1989.

Low participation numbers kept them from playing their season finale against Weehawken in November after having only 12 players dress at one practice late in the year.

They weren’t the only ones put in that position, either.

Bergen Tech, Dumont and Queen Peace also forfeited at least one game in 2016 due to dwindling rosters, injuries or safety concerns.

“Group 1 and Group 2 schools get beat up a little easier because if you lose a couple of skill kids, then you run into difficulties as opposed to a larger school and a larger roster,” Fryczynski said.

Losing Ridgefield brings a change to the league schedule.

When the NJIC introduced a conference playoff in 2016, it had 28 football teams spread evenly over four divisions. Teams faced everyone in their division once to make up a six-game schedule.

But now only six teams are left in the Meadowlands Division with the Royals gone.

Another six make up the Liberty Division with Queen of Peace closing for good.

The solution to that – all Meadowlands teams are adding one “crossover game” against someone from the Liberty.

This eliminates the need of having some teams play an extra game, as was previously proposed.

The crossover games will count toward a team’s record, but not for the division races.

“The integrity of our schedule is fine,” Fryczynski said. “Nothing is rattled. When Queen of Peace closed their doors and we lost a football team, we already made an emergency formula to get ourselves through next year and if it would ever happen again.”

The playoff system stays the same with the four division champions meeting in the semifinals.

“We’re in a good place, not a bad place as far as everybody else is concerned,” Fryczynski said. “Unfortunately as far as Ridgefield is concerned, they are back in a rebuilding stage so I hope it works for them.”

Ridgefield athletic director Jon Duncan could not be reached for comment.