Pennsylvania high school football team forfeits due to only having 13 healthy players

Lack of player numbers for some high school football teams are beginning to become a real issue at the midway point of the season as injuries start piling up. A Pennsylvania high school football team is feeling the wrath of that and was compelled to skip this week in order to get healthy.

According to a report by the Erie Times-News, Union City (Pa.) has forfeited this week’s scheduled contest against Mercyhurst Preparatory School due to only having 13 healthy players available for the game. The Bears will look to get healthy and try again next week when they’re slated to take on Moniteau on Oct. 11.

“Due to injuries and sickness, we currently only have approximately 13 healthy players,” Union City athletic director Alex Reagle said in a statement via the report. “This decision was made with the safety of these athletes in mind.”

Union City entered the 2025 season on a 13-game losing streak that had dated back to the 2023 season, but the Bears snapped that right out of the gates. The Bears defeated Maplewood, 15-8, to start the season off 1-0 for the first time since 2008.

It had been hard times for the Bears throughout their football program’s history over the years as they have recorded only five seasons in which they finished .500 or above in the last two decades.

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