Report: Another Iowa High School Football Team Forfeits Season

Colo-Nesco posts that its game vs. Meskwaki Settlement scheduled for this week is off.

Colo-Nesco's quarterback/defensive back Aidyn Short (11) is tackled by North Tama's wide receiver/linebacker Berkley Dvorak (3) during the third quarter of a Week 4 high school football game at the Colo-Nesco football field on Sept. 18, 2026, in Colo, Iowa. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Another Iowa high school football team appears to have forfeited the remainder of its season.

Colo-Nesco High School’s Facebook page posted on Tuesday that a planned game vs. Meskwaki Settlement has been cancelled. Instead, Colo-Nesco will play Stanton/Essex this week.

According to the post, Meskwaki Settlement has cancelled the remainder of its varsity football season. No official word from Meskwaki Settlement School has been made.

Iowa High School Football Team Replaces Opponent

“We were informed last Friday that Meskwaki has cancelled their varsity football season,” the post read. “That game will count as a forfeit district win for the Royals. We were able to pick up a new team to play and hold our senior night as scheduled.

“We will now play Stanton/Essex on October 2nd in place of Meskwaki. Due to the long trip, Stanton/Essex has requested to start the game at 6 p.m.”

The Warriors are currently scheduled to play at North Tama this coming Friday. Meskwaki Settlement also has games on its schedule vs. GMG and English Valleys.

Second Iowa High School Football Program Announces Loss Of Game

However, the official North Tama Facebook page confirmed that its game with Meskwaki Settlement is no longer going to be played.

“The varsity football game scheduled for this Friday has been cancelled,” the post read.

Both of those games are scheduled for Meskwaki Settlement’s home field, with the GMG contest being homecoming and the English Valleys game being senior night.

Meskwaki Settlement Has Forfeited Two Previous Games During The 2026 Season

Through four games this year, the Warriors have taken to the field twice. They lost to HLV-TC in the opener, 64-16, and to Collins-Maxwell two weeks later, 86-12. Between those two games, they forfeited a contest to Gladbrook-Reinbeck.

A scheduled game at Clarksville was also declared a forfeit.

In 2025, Meskwaki Settlement forfeited one game, playing the other seven. They allowed at least 48 points in all seven, scoring no more than 20.

The game vs. Gladbrook-Reinbeck was one of the first in-season Iowa high school football games to be cancelled. At the time, the Warriors announced on Facebook that the game was called off and would not be made up.

Several Other Teams Cancelled Seasons Before The Year Started

Unlike Colo-Nesco, Gladbrook-Reinbeck was not able to find a new game to compete in.

There has been no other post regarding the high school football season as of Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

Before the season started, several other eight-player programs cancelled their entire 2026 seasons. Those teams included Exira-EHK, Lone Tree, Mormon Trail, Rockford and Siouxland Christian. Siouxland Christian reached a sharing agreement for its players with Remsen St. Mary’s.