Citing concerns about player safety, South Portland High School has decided not to play Friday’s scheduled Southwestern Activities Association Class A South football playoff game against Bonny Eagle of Standish.
South Portland athletic administrator Todd Livingston said in a news release sent to CBS 13 that because a significant number of players are not able to play because of injuries, school officials opted not to put the remaining players in harm’s way.
“The South Portland football coaching staff, medical staff and administration met early this week to review team personnel, the football depth chart and to determine if we would be able to ensure the safety of our student-athletes competing in a quarterfinal football game on Friday, October 26th at Bonny Eagle,” Livingston said.
Livingston explained that school officials determined on Tuesday that South Portland could safely participate. However, the dynamic apparently changed over the next 48 hours.
“As we moved through the week, we have determined that our team personnel and football depth chart has changed due to players not being able to dress (participate in practice), which has significantly impacted our determination that our student-athletes can safely participate in a quarterfinal Friday evening,” Livingston said.
South Portland’s decision is not considered a forfeit because a football postseason game is part of the Maine Principals’ Association tournament, which is an invitational event.
South Portland, which finished with a 1-7 record, endured a difficult season that culminated in three consecutive losses. The Red Riots dropped a 35-0 decision to Portland last week.
South Portland and No. 3 seed Bonny Eagle (5-3) played in the first game of the regular season with the Scots posting a 34-6 victory.
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