Walnut drops freshman football team after only 12 players come out

Walnut High School has dropped its freshman football team after only 12 players showed up to participate, Athletic Director Jerry Person said Wednesday.

Walnut had hoped more students would join the team once classes began, but the number had dropped to nine, Person said. The remaining players will join the junior varsity team.

Person said in years past, the team had reached at least 30 players.

The decline in football participation at the lower levels has been a concern throughout the state. State wide football participation dropped by 3,520 in California this past school year.

“I think it has to do with the combination of concussions but also tradition,” he said of his school’s issues. “Kids go other places.”

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