A Missouri high school forfeited its football playoff game over problems with the team’s culture, and it hasn’t said what those problems are
The Principia School in St. Louis forfeited its football playoff game against Crystal City on [date per STLToday], citing problems with the program’s culture rather than injuries or a low number of players. The decision ended the Panthers’ season, and the school has kept the specific nature of those cultural issues private, as reported by STLToday . Principia athletic director Shawn Brown said the decision was made with the future of the program in mind. “While we’re disappointed with how the season ended, we believe this was a necessary step in moving our program forward,” Brown said. Crystal City advanced automatically to the Class 1 District 2 championship game because of the forfeit. It is scheduled to face Louisiana on November 13. Not the usual reason to forfeit a playoff game The Panthers finished the year with a 2-7 record, which includes the forfeit. Their two wins came in high-scoring games against Confluence Prep Academy and Veritas Christian Academy, but the team had a tough time defensively, with on-field discipline also becoming a talking point in high school sports after an Ohio soccer player was sent off by a referee . Principia gave up 54 points or more in five
