Todd Beamer High School just flat-out canceled the rest of its varsity football season, an absolute gut punch after a brutal 0-4 start where they weren’t even competitive. This isn’t just about losing games, folks; this is about player safety and the long-term health of a program facing some serious uphill battles. You gotta feel for those kids and the coaches.
The Numbers Don’t Lie: Why Safety Became the Only Option
Fifth-year coach Rodney McCurry told The News Tribune that injuries, including a bunch of broken elbows, absolutely decimated the varsity roster. They were down to fewer than 30 total players, with a staggering eight or nine guys stuck on the injury list, unable to compete. Think about that for a second: nearly a third of your already dwindled team sidelined with casts and serious bumps. The Titans compete in the Class 3A North Puget Sound League, which, for those who don’t know, is the second-largest classification in Washington state, right below 4A. McCurry didn’t mince words, telling the TNT, “We’ve got guys in casts… It wasn’t safe for our boys to go out there and get beat.” It’s a brutal reality, especially when the team doesn’t even have enough players to field a JV or C-team.
And talk about getting beat: the Titans hadn’t scored a single point since their Week 1 loss to Auburn Mountainview. In just four games this season, they were outscored by their opponents a mind-numbing 191 to 12. That’s not just a losing streak, that’s a full-on emergency, and it explains why McCurry said that while it might look like a tough decision from the outside, on the inside, “we’re thinking about the future of our programs.” Adding to the chaos, McCurry himself was suspended for two games due to an eligibility issue with players after coaching the first two, only to be reinstated after the fourth. Just another layer of tough stuff for this team to deal with.
Is 3A Too Much? The Uphill Battle for Todd Beamer
So, what’s next for the remaining healthy players? McCurry said they’re gonna try to piece together some sort of JV schedule and maybe even look at playing varsity competition from smaller schools. But the bigger conversation here, one McCurry is clearly fired up about, is the school’s classification. With WIAA loosening transfer rules and open enrollment being an option in the Federal Way School District before ninth grade, Todd Beamer is facing an incredibly tough fight to stay competitive in 3A. They’re up against some heavy hitters, too. The games they had left on the schedule were against White River, Federal Way, and Enumclaw, all top programs in the league this season.
McCurry hopes this season cancellation kicks off some serious talks. “For us, it opened us some conversations for more people to see the state of Todd Beamer sports as a whole,” he shared. And it’s not just football, he stressed, “Our numbers are down across the board, not just in football.” He’s hoping the WIAA takes a good hard look and considers moving the school to a lower classification, one that actually reflects where they’re at with their sub-varsity depth. McCurry believes, “Hopefully they can see that maybe 3A is not the place for us, it’s not compatible.” This ain’t just about this year; it’s about the future of every sport at Todd Beamer, and frankly, it’s a story you hate to see play out for any local high school.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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