In the world of Friday night lights and high school football, is it possible for one team to be too good?
In Everett, Washington, one powerhouse team outscored its opponents 170-0 in its first three football games this season. Now other conference opponents would rather forfeit than get pummeled by Archbishop Murphy High School’s team.
"There's still unknowns. … We don't know what's going to happen next week," said Jerry Jensen, the school's athletic director.
But parents of some players at Cedar Park Christian High won't allow them to face the much bigger, stronger Archbishop Murphy, which is the next game on the schedule. Some wrote emails saying such things as, "We are in agreement that to play Archbishop Murphy would compromise the best interest and safety of the players and be demoralizing by the certain and devastating defeat."
Another wrote, "Football is a dangerous sport; however, this is an extreme and unnecessary risk that you are putting our sons in."
Some were even upset that the school didn't forfeit immediately, saying, "Please know that we will not be allowing our sons to suit up for the Archbishop game next Friday the 14th."
Joey Johnson, the athletic director at nearby Granite Falls High School, also skipped out on a game against Archbishop Murphy.
"We made a decision based on the health and welfare of our kids," Johnson said.
Stacey Morris, a parent of one of the players, agreed with the decision.
"We can't put our 5-foot-8, 125-pound quarterback up against their nose tackle who happens to be 6 feet 5 inches and weighs over 330 pounds. He's going to put that kid in the hospital," she said.
Archbishop Murphy is loaded with big Division 1 college recruits like 6-foot-8, 265-pound junior Abe Lucas.
"I'm just ready to get back on the field and start playing again with all my boys," Lucas said.
Fellow Archbishop Murphy player Jackson Yost agreed.
"We can't focus on what other schools do, and we just have to focus on what we need to do to prepare for the next upcoming game," he said.
