Southern Valley Schools in Nebraska has announced the cancellation of the remainder of its 2024 high school football season, effective immediately, due to a significant shortage of available players. This decision impacts both the varsity and junior varsity teams.
Activities Director Josh Lanik stated that the decision was not made lightly, emphasizing the safety concerns for the remaining players. “For us, numbers-wise, we didn’t have enough kids available to put a safe product out on the field any further,” he said, noting that the team had only 10 or 11 healthy players in grades 9-12 combined. Lanik explained that some varsity players were not adequately prepared for competition, and it would be a disservice to put them in challenging situations.
The Southern Valley football team struggled this season, finishing with an 0-5 record and ranking sixth in Class D1 District 9. They were scheduled to face Hi-Line on Friday at 7 p.m., with additional games planned against North Platte St. Patrick’s on October 11 and Dundy County Stratton on October 18.
