NEW PORT RICHEY, Fla. — A high school football team in New Port Richey was forced to cancel its remaining games for the season due to suffering too many injuries to field a full team.
- Gulf High School football team roster down to 13 players
- Team has only won three games since 2015
- More Pasco County stories
Gulf High School in New Port Richey had to cancel the rest of its season due to injuries. There were not enough players on the team.
Principal Jeff Morgenstein said in an interview that the football team was down to just 13 players. The roster was already small, as well.
“It’s a difficult decision to make,” Morgenstein said. “It came after a great deal of conversation. It becomes very clear when you’re looking at the safety and well-being of your students, that’s what rises to the surface.”
It’s been tough times for the school's Buccaneers.
On top of an already small roster, the team was winless this season. In fact, they have only won three games since 2015.
“We want to make sure we do what’s right by them as people, not just players,” Morgenstein said.
The principal also said that they are looking forward to the future and hope this isn’t something that will continue.
“When you look at the roster being smaller, it’s something we have seen,” Morgenstein said. “But we’re also looking to build forward. We know we have players coming up from the younger grades.”
The cancellation was met with disappointment by some students and left some issues that Pasco County Schools are working out.
For the seniors who will now lose out on their traditional Senior Night, the school says they are planning an event for that.
Zephyrhills High was supposed to play Gulf High for their homecoming game next week. The school system says they are looking for a replacement game or may move homecoming to another date.