Every year since 1963, Palo Verde High School has fielded a varsity football team. This year, however, Friday nights will be dark at 1302 S. Avenida Vega.
Citing to safety concerns and a young roster, Palo Verde athletic director Jason Karn and coach Mike Wells decided to cancel the varsity football season this week. The Titans had just two seniors and six juniors on their roster, meaning the school’s eight sophomores and 22 freshmen would have been asked to play significant snaps at the varsity level.
Palo Verde’s administration didn’t think it was wise — or safe — to proceed.
“We can’t have freshmen out there (on varsity) that have never played a high school game and expect them not to get hurt,” Karn said. “Or get our quarterback hurt.”
Palo Verde will instead play a junior varsity schedule. Wells will coach the team, and the Titans will play eight games on Thursday nights throughout the fall season.
The Titans’ two seniors and any other student-athletes that would have made the varsity taem are left with two options: Stay at Palo Verde or obtain a hardship waiver from the Arizona Interscholastic Association and transfer to the school that’s closest to their homes.
Karn said Palo Verde will work to ensure any student that decides to leave can play football at their new school.
“We’re going to support any kids that make that decision,” the Titans’ athletic director said. “But that’s a family decision more than anything.”
Both Wells and Karn initially became concerned during the spring and summer, when sparsely attended practices prompted them to wonder if fielding a team was possible.
The two hoped that more upperclassmen would show up once school started in early August. When that didn’t happen, the Palo Verde administrators had difficult conversations.
Karn and Wells agreed cancelling the varsity season was in the best interest of the program, then Palo Verde AD spoke with the AIA. Then they told the players and their families.
“We thought it was best to cancel out of the safety for our students,” Karn said. “We’ve taken some heat for it, but I stand by the decision and it was the right thing to do.”
Palo Verde’s opponents must now find a replacement on their schedules. The Titans were supposed to host Walden Grove in their Sept. 3 season opener; instead, Walden Grove will play Pusch Ridge Christian at Mountain View High School.
The fallout of the decision affects far more than just football, Karn explained.
“There’s revenue involved, there’s classified employees who rely on working extra hours on Friday as part of their salary,” he said. “Our band doesn’t get to perform on Friday nights to prepare for their competitions.”
Palo Verde officials plan are planning to field both varsity and JV teams in 2022.
“I think this is just a one-year thing,” Karn said.
