Midget football is alive and well in Butler.

Because the Butler Area Midget Football League, its 64th season under way, now has only four varsity teams, many folks around here believes the league is on its way out.

But that is simply not true.

The BAMFL had more than 400 players and six teams a couple of years ago. The league stands at 336 players this year.

That’s a drop-off. It’s also far from dead.

South Butler and Penn Street have merged with East Butler and Butler City. Center Township and Meridian boast much of the BAMFL’s population and have large rosters.

Center Township has won a record six consecutive league championships at the varsity level.

“That’s probably not good for our league,” BAMFL president Andy Cygan said. “But three of those championship games were very close.

“This league is a lot more balanced than people realize.”

Cygan is in his third year as BAMFL president and in his 14th year with the league in general. He has never had a child play in the league.

Besides the 336 players on varsity, JV and mighty mite rosters, the BAMFL has another 57 kids playing age 7-8 flag football this year.

“We’re not at all satisfied with four varsity teams,” Cygan insisted. “We expect to get back to six very shortly.”

There has been talk of Center Township adding a second varsity team. CT has two mighty mite squads this year.

Saxonburg and Meridian have been approached about joining the BAMFL and have expressed interest. The fact that the BAMFL allows eighth-graders to play has hampered efforts to play against teams outside of Butler.

Cygan said Butler’s junior high team has 62 players while the BAMFL has 38 eighth-graders.

“I’m not going to send those 38 to the junior high team and have them caught up in numbers,” Cygan said. “I took three eighth-graders back to our league (from junior high) this year already.”

Cygan said the BAMFL is not in competition with the junior high program or the Lil’ Tornados. The latter program only goes up to sixth grade.

“There are 34 players on the Lil’ Tornado who would be eligible to play in our league,” he said. “That’s not all that many. The Lil’ Tornados offer another youth football option around town and I support that — whatever gets kids out on the field.”

Despite still charging a player only $50 to participate, the BAMFL bought 100 new helmets, new jerseys for every JV team and for half of the mighty mite teams.

The day before he died, longtime BAMFL coach and supporter George “Red” Slater implored Cygan to keep that fee at $50.

Keep it affordable and the kids will keep playing.

Slater need not worry. There are plenty of young football players around to keep the BAMFL thriving.

Just wander down to Memorial Park some Saturday and see for yourself.

John Enrietto is sports editor of the Butler Eagle