Wadena-Deer Creek Football Cancels the Rest of Their 2024 Season

In high school football news, Wadena-Deer Creek has made the decision to forgo the remainder of their 2024 season including postseason play, citing low numbers of upperclassmen as a significant factor.

In a letter posted to the team’s Facebook page, head coach Kyle Petermeier stressed the safety of the athletes was the top reason why they made the difficult decision. The Wolverines began the season with only five seniors, but after a slew of injuries, the team only has eight players in grades 10-12 able to play, with the rest of the roster comprised of freshmen.

“You make a decision like this and you expect the kids to be a little upset, and some of them were,” said Norm Gallant, Wadena-Deer Creek Activities Director and Assistant Football Coach. “But, you know, the response has been overall very positive. They get it and they know we’re looking out for them. And that’s the most important thing. High school sports are great, but they’re also fleeting. It’s just a small part of their life, and, you know, we want them to be healthy and great adults when they leave here. So, you know, we’re going to be just fine.”

Wadena-Deer Creek is hopeful for the future with better numbers at the middle and elementary school levels. They will forfeit their game tomorrow against Staples-Motley, as the Wolverines finish 1-7 and the Cardinals finish 8-0.

The Section 6AA playoffs will now only have four teams competing, moving all teams to semifinals matches.

This story has been updated with a quote from Wadena-Deer Creek AD and Assistant Football Coach Norm Gallant.