ROSEMONT, Pa. — Harriton High School is suspending its varsity football program for the remainder of the season, Principal Warshawer announced in an email to the team Monday afternoon.
Harriton administration made the decision because of concerns about player safety, low participation and the sustainability of maintaining a competitive program over a ten-week schedule.
“We understand the time, effort, commitment, and excitement that goes into preparing for a football season, and we do not make this decision lightly,” Principal Warshawer said in his statement to the team.
This comes three days after the team lost 0-53 to Pottstown High School in its first game of the season. Last year, the Rams went 1-9 and 0-8 in their conference.
The team has 32 players this season, down from 47 players last year, according to a roster obtained by HarritonTV earlier this week.
The Rams have undergone significant changes since last year, notably with new head coach John McAllister replacing two-year head coach Mario Dattilo. Along with the graduating seniors, the team also lost numerous starters, including Matai Mistry, Finn McCloud, Damon Bailey and Tyler Dean.
“The football team was an essential part of building my leadership skills,” Tre DeMarco, former Harriton football captain, said. “This is very upsetting to hear.”
Administration is considering maintaining a junior varsity football season. This is not completely unheard of in Pennsylvania football. William L. Sayre High School in Philadelphia played only a junior varsity season in 2022 after facing similar issues with team sizes.
“A junior varsity program would allow our student-athletes to remain engaged in football, continue building relationships with their teammates and coaches, and gain valuable experience that supports their continued growth as youth athletes and individuals,” Warshawer said.
This announcement comes just months after the Lower Merion school board voted to approve an intra-district cooperative between Harriton and Lower Merion’s varsity football teams last May. If approved by the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA), the two teams would be combined into one.
“We also want to make it clear that this decision is not a decision to end football in our district,” Warshawer said. “The district remains committed to providing opportunities for football in the future and to identifying a sustainable path forward for our student-athletes and programs.”
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