HAVERHILL, Mass. — Fall sports began this week at high schools across Massachusetts, but at Whittier Tech Regional High School in Haverhill, the football season was suddenly canceled.
Dozens of football players and their parents rallied outside Whittier Tech Wednesday, pushing school leaders to let them play their football season.
“So we play about 10 or seven schools in our league and there’s not a single school that’s not playing in our division, which that does not make any sense whatsoever,” said Mack Fieldhouse, a senior football player.
The students brought shovels ready to clear the snow from the fields.
They were told that was one of the reasons why their football season had to be canceled, but security and police kept them off school property and away from the fields.
“They said if we go past that gate we’re getting arrested, that’s basically what they said when we pulled up here,” said Nolan Mann, a senior.
“It’s just sad, it really is, no one’s coming out, no one’s willing to talk to us, we’re willing to fight you know we got shovels, there’s 25 people here ready to go you know it’s sad,” said Fieldhouse.
Superintendent Maureen Lynch sent the following statement to Boston 25 News:
“Unfortunately we have only one field that would need to accommodate football, girls and boys soccer. (This was never about shoveling and/or plowing the one turf field.) During a regular fall season we would have 4 fields in use. We are unable to use the other fields because of it being winter,” said Lynch.
“What I don’t understand is why is it a straight no?” said Todd Perry, a father of one of the players. “Why isn’t there something in between there – why isn’t there discussion?”
Parents say it’s not just football – a few fall sports have been canceled, impacting hundreds of students.
“They don’t give us a chance and it’s sad, it really is sad to see us seniors go out like this,” said Fieldhouse.
The superintendent also says volleyball has been canceled because they cannot use the gym since it’s being used for lunch during this pandemic.
“I know this is devastating to our students, but there is hope around the corner and we are confident that if the COVID numbers stay the same, we will be able to participate in the spring sports,” said Lynch in a statement.
Download the free Boston 25 News app for up-to-the-minute push alerts
>> Complete local and national coronavirus coverage here
RESOURCES:
- Complete local and national coronavirus coverage here
- Follow us on Facebook and Twitter | Watch Boston 25 NOW
/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/cmg/7QOJU3BNCJERBNKJC5LWTBYFLU.png)
