Our assistant editor, Susan Johns, makes a good point in her editorial this week. Boothbay and Wiscasset high schools should continue trying to work together to salvage sports teams before they disappear into history.

A few points about getting players from each school to participate in a sport at the other school:

1. Time: There is the added time of getting athletes to and from each school before and after a practice or game;

2. Travel: There is the commitment by parents, guardians, athletes, etc. to get to and from the school for practices and games using a reliable car or truck;

3. Playing with strangers: Athletes need to adjust to playing with “kids” and for coaches they may not know well.

4. The rivalry: Like it or not, Boothbay and Wiscasset have been sports rivals for a long time and that has perhaps come into play in the past few years for some athletes considering playing for the other school.

If the declining enrollment trend continues for both schools, it may lead to serious discussions about building a new school for both communities, perhaps somewhere in Edgecomb. Jay and Livermore and Thomaston and Rockland combined their high schools. And building a school for both communities may be already on the minds of those who make those decisions.

But in the meantime, working together to keep the sports teams alive and competitive should be the goal of our communities.