Jericho, N.Y. – The Jericho Union Free School District has called off the remainder of its varsity football season after just three games. Superintendent Dr. Robert Kravitz said the decision was driven by a wave of injuries that left the team unable to field a safe roster.
Safety concerns top the agenda
“Some of our senior students got hurt. Because of that, we don’t want to risk the safety of our younger students, putting them up against bigger students from other schools, so we decided to cancel the season this year,” Kravitz explained. The district’s priority, according to the superintendent, is to protect students from further harm while they continue to develop their athletic programs.
Injuries decimate the roster
Head varsity coach Brendan Lahti confirmed that multiple players suffered season‑ending injuries. With only about six seniors remaining able to play and the majority of the roster consisting of underclassmen, the team fell short of New York State’s minimum requirement of 16 suited players and the 11 players needed on the field for a game.
Student reactions
Students expressed disappointment but understood the rationale. Ninth‑grader Garrett Duffalo said, “I’m upset. I love playing football. I played it throughout my middle school career.” He added that the team had spent the summer conditioning, hoping to compete despite being undersized. Fellow freshman Nishant Pandit echoed the sentiment, noting, “I’m really upset because I wanted to play football this year, but in the end it’s for the best because we didn’t want the seniors hurt.” Both students said they hope to return to the field in future seasons.
Broader context on Long Island
This marks the fourth Long Island high school to cancel its varsity football season in 2026, joining Amityville, Port Jefferson and Holy Trinity. All four schools cited player availability as the primary factor.
Looking ahead
Section VIII executive director Patrick Pizzarelli suggested that schools facing similar challenges should assess community interest and consider cooperative solutions, such as combining teams with neighboring schools. “The schools that are having trouble filling teams, I think they have to do a deep dive into their community and see if it is what the students really want. And if it’s only a few interested, they can combine with another school possibly,” he said.
Jericho officials emphasized a commitment to keeping football opportunities alive for local youth. “We don’t want the Jayhawks to fly away, we want to keep our Jayhawk players here and that is the goal,” Kravitz added. The district is exploring options to ensure the sport can return in future seasons, including potential partnerships with nearby schools and increased recruitment efforts.
Original reporting: Brookhaven News – ABC7 New York — read the source article.
