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Related: About this forumCalifornia high school cancels varsity football after 2 games ... outscored 102-0
Theres been plenty of talk about declining participation in high school football, but an interesting case in point of the effects that can have comes from Healdsburg High School in Sonoma County, California. Earlier this week, the schools remaining varsity players (just 12 of them) voted to disband their team for the remainder of this season following an 0-2 start that saw them outscored 102-0.
The team started the year with 18 players, but five quit after their first two losses (41-0 to Drake and 61-0 to Justin-Siena), and a sixth left Monday, prompting head coach and athletic director Dave Stine to call for a team vote on whether they should continue. The first vote was inconclusive, but the second (held anonymously) was 7-4 in favor of ending the season.
Principal Bill Halliday told Kerry Benefield of the nearby Santa Rosa Press-Democrat that the decision has led to some dejection round the school, and to some talk about parents not wanting their kids in football.
Varsity football may not be gone from Healdsburg High for long. The school currently has a successful junior varsity team with 30 players, and theyre likely to revive varsity football next year. But there are larger numbers of declining participation overall, and there may be more schools that decide varsity football isnt worth it, either in particular years or overall. It will be interesting to watch how that wider story evolves going forward.
http://thecomeback.com/high-school/california-hs-cancels-varsity-football-outscored-102-0.html
magicarpet
(14,168 posts).... in the White Trash White House.
madinmaryland
(64,933 posts)Brother Buzz
(36,463 posts)and besides, the young strapping kids should be working the crush this time of the year.
FWIW, The Healdsburg Prune Packers were on a tear this year.............2018 record 36 wins, 11 losses, 0 ties
(back in the day, I had a couple of generations of cousins that played on an earlier incarnation of the the Prune Packers)