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Illinois high school football program cancels game due to shortage of healthy players

Wg0vf-nP_400x400by: Keegan Pope10/09/25bykeeganpope
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(USA Today/Imagn Images)

Illinois is the latest state to be affected by the rash of high school football cancellations that have been happening across the country.

On Wednesday, the West Aurora (Ill.) program announced that its upcoming game against Larkin was canceled due to their opponents not having enough healthy players. The Royals, who would’ve entered the game at 1-5 on the season, will have to forfeit and take another defeat, while West Aurora will be counted with a 1-0 victory.

In a statement, the West Aurora program said it will now shift its focus to its final two games of the regular season. The Blackhawks move to 5-2 with the forfeit win

“Tuesday evening, Larkin High School made us aware they will not have enough healthy players to safely compete in the football game this Friday night,” the WestAuroraAthletics Twitter accounted posted on Wednesday evening. “Since then, our athletic department has worked to identify a replacement opponent, exploring both home and away options. Despite those efforts, an alternate matchup could not be secured. As a result, we will be accepting the forfeit. We feel for our athletes, especially our seniors, who have missed out on an opportunity to compete this week. They’ve invested tremendous time, effort, and heart into this season, and we share in their disappointment. At the same time, we are proud of how our players continue to handle adversity with class and resilience.

…We still have two regular season games remaining, and our focus now shifts to making the most of those opportunities together. We look forward to finishing the season strong and continuing to represent West Aurora with pride.”

How to Follow Illinois High School Football

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