The Prince George Northern Eagles were forced to forfeit their playoff semifinal game Saturday with the North Delta Longhorns due to a lack of players.
Only 12 players showed up to take the 12-15 hour bus trip to Richmond for the B.C. Football Conference Juvenile tier 2 game, which technically was enough, but as head coach Tim Lozon said wouldn't have been a responsible thing to do, since injuries could occur.
"It's very disappointing," said Lozon about having to forfeit the playoff game.
He said there were a couple of high school graduations this weekend tying up a good portion of the Northern Eagles players.
"They were justifiably busy and there wasn't enough time for them to make the long trip to the Lower Mainland," said Lozon.
The Northern Eagles finished their inaugural season of tier 2 football with one win and five losses. Prince George didn't find out they'd be able to play in the league until January, leaving little time for recruiting which left the Eagles short-staffed for much of the season.
Players in the tier 2 league are between 18-20 and have completed their eligibility in high school football. The league began in 2012 as a spring league to give players experience before heading into tier 1 junior football.
Lozon said next season the Northern Eagles will be able to start the recruiting process in the fall during the high school season with indoor practices starting in February.
The tier 2 championship game between the Longhorns and Richmond Raiders will be played June 16. The Longhorns are the defending champions.
