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The prospect of a varsity baseball team at Hayden High School was left hanging last night when the Hayden School Board declined to take action to grant the sport Tier II status.

A motion from board member Kurt Frentress to bump the sport from junior varsity to Tier II varsity died for lack of a second motion, after discussion from community members and board members.

School Board President Brian Hoza said he supported the program, but he would like to see baseball remain a junior varsity sport to prove it has the numbers to support a full team and because of a tight budget.

Frentress then introduced a motion that would prevent the issue from being discussed again until 2011, but that, too, failed for lack of a second motion. When the issue was discussed last year, board members said they would like the program to stay at the junior varsity level for three to four years to prove it is viable.

Coach Wayne DeLuca said he was hopeful the board would elevate the program, but, based on the decision, he will continue to focus on making baseball available to any student who would like to play.

"My main goal is to let kids play ball who want to play ball, and that's what we're going to do," he said.

DeLuca said several of the school's top players choose to play in Moffat County each year because the season is longer - 19 games instead of Hayden's 10 - and the program is varsity level.

"Not only do our numbers drop, but when you end up losing your best players, you sort of turn into a developmental squad, but that's OK for us," he said. "If we end up with nine or 10 kids who walk out there, who have had little or no experience, we're going to take that and teach them the game of baseball, and we're going to go out there and have fun."

Parent Amy Williams, whose sophomore son Ben plays for the Moffat County team, told the board that keeping the team a junior varsity squad is "the best of both worlds."

"I think it's very important (the junior varsity team) prove itself - not guess or project itself - sustainable," she said. "Small districts can't be everything to everyone."

Hoza said he would like to see baseball a varsity sport once the player numbers and budget numbers allow it.

"What's unfortunate is there is a misunderstanding, and the caution about the (economic) climate is interpreted as a lack of support for baseball. You've got some of the strongest supporters of baseball sitting on this table," he said.

Breathalyzers on tap

Students at Hayden High School's prom may need a new kind of ticket to get into the dance, if Principal Troy Zabel is successful in implementing a new alcohol-testing policy.

Also at Wednesday's School Board meeting, Zabel told the board he plans to move forward with a plan to test the blood alcohol level of all students as they enter the dance and possibly use the test for other school events in the future.

"We would have them blow into the Breathalyzer as they come in the door. It'd be their ticket in," he said.

Zabel said he is concerned students are drinking before dances, and if they know they will be tested, that is likely to decrease.

"Like all schools, we have suspicions of alcohol use (of students) coming to prom. I think that's a fairly common thing," he said Thursday. "We want to ensure the safety, and we want to use it as a deterrent, not as a stick."

Zabel told the board he has discussed the proposal with Superintendent Greg Rockhold and an attorney. The school would not contact the police, but students would face other consequences, including possible sports ineligibility if they test positive for alcohol.

"We're not wanting to be punitive. We're not wanting to involve law enforcement. We'd make contact with home for someone to come pick them up," he said.

The board did not take any action on the issue.

"This is definitely not a done deal yet," Zabel said. "We're exploring it."

Zabel said a school improvement team of faculty members supported the idea, and he plans to get feedback from the community as he finalizes a policy.

Parents and students are invited to the next School Improvement Team meeting, 7 p.m. March 16 at the high school, to discuss the issue.

- To reach Zach Fridell, call 871-4208

or e-mail zfridell@steamboatpilot.com