Culver High has canceled this week’s varsity football game against Central Linn, which was originally scheduled for Thursday night at Culver.
The Bulldogs (0-4 overall), who started the season with just 29 players, have been plagued by injuries this fall and chose to forfeit their Class 2A Tri-River Conference contest against the 5-1 Cobras rather than risk injury to their young players, according to Culver coach Brian Silbernagel.
“This week we’d be starting four or five freshmen," Silbernagel said Tuesday. “You can’t ask a 15-year-old to go out there against an 18-year-old."
The Central Linn game may not be the only contest Culver forfeits this season. Silbernagel said next week’s league game against Kennedy will likely “not happen" as well. The Bulldog coach said he hopes to have several players back in time for his team’s Oct. 26 game against Santiam.
“It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is," Silbernagel said. “It’s just a combination of a small senior class and now a beat-up senior class."
—Bulletin staff report