Onetime Bay Area powerhouse cancels high school football season

A former powerhouse of the Bay Area high school football scene has fallen off dramatically, culminating in the cancellation of the rest of its fall season. Oakland’s Skyline High announced it is forfeiting the rest of its games this year because it does not have enough players to safely fill its roster.

“This is a decision that we do not take lightly, and it came only after exhausting all other options,” said an email sent by Skyline principal Rebecca Huang and seen by the Bay Area News Group. School district officials cited a number of factors in the team’s declining participation, including students transferring to other schools and injuries.

The Titans were able to field a roster for its first two games, but both were blowout losses: a 42-6 loss to Dougherty Valley and a 45-25 loss to Healdsburg. On Sept. 18, 25 and 29, Skyline forfeited games and did not play.

Once a local champion, Skyline has fallen on hard times. Last season, they went 0-9 and the year before, they posted a record of 1-9. The Titans last had a winning season in 2021-22, when they managed six wins to five losses. It’s a stark contrast to their glory days, between the late 1980s and early 2000s, when they won 15 OAL titles and 11 Oakland Section crowns.

But Skyline is far from the only high school that’s had to put its football program on pause. Tackle football participation has been declining throughout the country, and experts point to increased awareness of brain injuries, like CTE, in parents’ decisions to steer their children away from the sport. 

Huang said the school plans on fielding both junior varsity and varsity squads next year.

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This article originally published at Onetime Bay Area powerhouse cancels high school football season.