The co-op is out, but there will be football on Wolverine Mountain this year … if there is a football season.

On Monday, the Warren County school board heard about precautions Abraxas was taking due to COVID-19.

The steps were satisfactory and the board expected the annual Sheffield-Abraxas cooperative agreement to be in place for the 2020 varsity football season.

On Wednesday, district officials learned otherwise.

Abraxas shut down its participation in football this year and is looking at other sports. The schools cooperate on wrestling and track, in addition to football.

The language in the email received by Supervisor of District-Wide Athletics Rick Gignac was, “After much deliberation, we’ve decided to suspend the football co-op.”

“The jury’s still out on wrestling,” District Director of Administrative Support Services Gary Weber said.

The cooperative agreement has bolstered the Sheffield football team’s numbers in the past.

“Right now, Sheffield has 23 kids out without Abraxas,” Weber said.

That puts the football program in the clear to begin the season.

According to school district policy approved a year ago, the minimum number of students to field a football team in the district is 22. With 20 or 21, a program is under a one-year probation period. With fewer than 20, or in a second year under 22, the program is disbanded.