For more than 28 years, the Holley Central School district has been without a football team for its high school students. That may be about to change.

Michelle Davis, chairman of the eastern Orleans Junior Hawks, a division of the American Youth Football League, has been the driving force behind the recent spate of interest in establishing a high school football team in Holley.

"Once kids reach age 14, they can’t participate in the AYFL so they have nowhere to go," she said. "This (football team) would be a great opportunity for the kids of Holley."

Following a request to the board of education, High School Principal William Pileggi said school administrators were directed to look into the feasibility of the school establishing a football team. A committee was formed to examine the costs and other considerations necessary for the formation of a team. There were no figures available, he said, as to how the cost of a start-up team would affect the district’s budget.

"We have had a positive response," he said.

While Pileggi said it is hard to determine the level of interest by students wanting to be involved in a team, he said that theoretically there would be enough interest to support a team.

The committee was charged with looking into costs of uniforms, league fees, equipment and building and grounds considerations, Pileggi said. They will report their findings to the board of education at a future meeting. A football field would also have to be constructed, he said.

"Obviously moving forward with a football team would hinge on funding," Pileggi said. "Whether or not it happens depends on the board of education, the total costs and the budget picture."

Davis, and her husband, are the parents of two sons, 8 and 15. "My 15-year old has aged out of the AYFL program so now he has no place to go."

School officials, Davis said, seemed very open to the group's proposal. "They have been working with us and have told me they are putting funds into the school budget for the team," she said.

It will be up to the community, Davis said, to support the school budget and offer the children a chance to play high school football. She said the group has been working toward this goal for two years and it would be "really sad" to have come this far and have the community not support it.

"This is important for our kids," Davis said. "A busy child is a drug-free child."