Dracut High School football season in jeopardy due to lack of players
DRACUT - Dracut High School's football program is in jeopardy. With only 16 players on the team's roster, the athletic director gave the team 24 hours Wednesday to add more students to the team or the program gets cut.
"Friday night lights there's nothing like it," said Logan Anello, who was looking forward to playing football alongside his big brother Connor.
"It would be great to have, to see both last names out there," said Amy Anello, Logan and Connor's mother.
"I wanted to play with him for one year," Logan said.
But that wish may not come true.
"Kinda sad," Logan said.
The school doesn't have enough players to fill the team roster.
"This year it dwindled to a bleak number of about 16 that can play and that's not enough for a football team," says Neala Richardson who tells WBZ they've spoken to school administration about possible solutions, including inviting charter school students who live in town to play for the team.
"We did meet with the AD and principal to voice our concerns. They were heard but we weren't really given any clear answers as to why the collaboration isn't moving forward," says Richardson.
The decline in football participation is not just an issue in Dracut.
In October of 2022, the National Federation of State High School Associations reported the participation in boys 11-player football was down 3% nationwide.
Parents in Dracut blame health and safety risks as a reason for the decrease in players.
"Since COVID things have changed and the numbers continue to dwindle. When things start to come to the forefront of head injuries and concussions of course I would never deny that that's not a reason," said Richardson.
Research conducted by Boston University found that 40% of young athletes exposed to repeated head impacts from sports who died before age 30 had chronic traumatic encephalopathy more commonly known as CTE.
The study's co-author Dr. Dan Daneshvar found football was the main culprit.
"Your brain doesn't care what hits it. If you're getting repeated hits to the head, you're at risk for developing CTE," says Dr. Daneshvar, a researcher at Boston University School of Medicine.
"Of course that plays a role, parents are parents and will protect their kids," says Richardson.
But parents say they'll continue to fight for the season off the field while their kids get ready on the field.
"Dracut has a rich history in football and to let it melt away feels so wrong," says Richardson.
Parents are planning a rally at the high school Thursday demanding the school allow students outside of Dracut High to play for the team.
WBZ-TV did reach out to the school's administration. We did not immediately hear back.
