ROCK ISLAND, Ill. — Alleman Catholic High School will be down a varsity football team in the 2023 season, according to a notice published by the athletics program.
According to the letter signed by Principals Jane Barret and Mike Lootens and Athletic Director Mark VanNatta, officials made the decision after "great thought, discussion and deliberation" and informed other Western Big 6 schools in a meeting between principals and athletic directors on Wednesday, Jan. 18.
Alleman is graduating 10 football seniors from 2022's 30-person team, many of which played on both offense and defense. Alleman says that the prospective team for next year may be inexperienced underclassmen and that part of the reasoning for the decision was to consider the health, safety and experience of those players in the competitive Western Big 6 conference.
School officials intend to revisit the decision in Spring 2023 while intending to keep fielding a junior varsity team and hoping to return the varsity team in 2024.
In a final statement, the note says, "We believe that his action will allow Alleman's Football Program to be recharged and reinvigorated, hopefully encouraging more young men to become part of the football program. Alleman Catholic High School has a long and storied history of football success. We are not turning our back on this success; rather, we are looking for a path forward that promotes future success."
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