New London, IA- A week removed from Highland’s decision to forfeit their season due to injuries sustained through the first two weeks of the season, New London has come to the same decision after a 20-12 loss against Wapello in their week four contest.
This decision comes a day after the program’s decision to forfeit their contest against Columbus this upcoming Friday night. New London School District Superintendent Chad Wahls stated in a Facebook post,
“This decision was not made lightly. Unfortunately, a growing number of injuries among our players has significantly reduced our roster, raising serious concerns about the health, safety, and well-being of our student-athletes. While we value competition and school spirit, ensuring student safety must remain our top priority.”
This is not the first time New London has dealt with issues pertaining to roster health. Two seasons ago in 8-player football, the Tigers forfeited their week four contest against Central City due to mounting injuries. They would go on to finish the season after giving a presentation to the Iowa High School Athletic Association (IHSAA) explaining how they would safely finish the season.
In their first season playing 11-player football since 2018, the Tigers managed a roster size of just 16 players.
Superintendent Wahls stated in his post that New London will still celebrate Homecoming and honor their seniors. New London’s Homecoming is scheduled to start on Sunday, September 28th, while senior night will be October 7th.