Varsity high school football team cancels remainder of the season

LINCOLN, Neb. (KOLN/Gray News) – A school district in Nebraska made the decision to cancel the remaining varsity football games at one high school scheduled for the 2022 season.

The decision was made as a response to the high number of injuries the Lincoln Northwest High School varsity football team has experienced so far this season, according to the school’s athletic and activities director.

The school district said 20% of the team is out for various illnesses and injuries that either limit or prohibit an athlete’s ability to return to the team in the immediate future. There is an unclear timeline for a possible return to play.

“Out of an abundance of caution and with student safety as our focus, we’ve decided to forfeit the remainder of the Northwest varsity football games,” the school’s athletic and activities director JJ Toczek said.

Of the 60 students remaining on the roster, 36 are freshmen, 12 are sophomores and 12 are juniors, KOLN reports. Only a few of the Northwest players have any varsity experience, and even more have never played organized football prior to this year.

“We want our student-athletes to be safe and have a positive experience on and off the field to help them build their passion for the game,” Toczek said. “Our players will still be able to compete in junior varsity, reserve and freshmen competitions to build their experience as a team and players’ skills for future years.”