3 New York Section I Football Teams Cancel Week 2 Matchups

All three schools have their rest of their schedules intact

Alex Gaugler (22) runs the ball for Haldane in the Section I Class D championship game against Tuckahoe last season. The Blue Devils were forced to cancel their week two matchup against the Tigers this season due to low numbers. | USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect

Three New York Section I high school football teams have canceled their week two matchups, according to reports.

Lack of Players Force Cancellations

Kevin Devaney Jr. of GameDay One posted on social media that Croton-Harmon, Haldane and Briarcliff/Hamilton have canceled their matchups this week “due to not having enough available players,” as Section I programs continue to struggle keeping their games on the schedule.

According to state guidelines, football teams must have at least 16 eligible players to compete in a game. 

All three teams are not expected to refill their week two voids, Mike Dougherty of The Journal-News/Lohud.com reported.

Hastings canceled its season opener against Dobbs Ferry due to low numbers. The Yellowjackets, however, are past the 16-player cutoff enough to have their game versus Edgemont/Blind Brook on Thursday.

Haldane One of Only Two Class D Teams

Haldane forfeited its Thursday matchup against Tuckahoe, which are the only two teams in Section I Class D. The schools meet in the Class D championship game every year, and Tuckahoe last season reached the Class D state title game against eventual champion Tioga (Section IV).

The Blue Devils lost 40-0 to O’Neill High School in week one. Haldane faces Albertus Magnus on Sept. 18.

Croton-Harmon’s 1st Game of Season Cut Short

Croton-Harmon lost 23-0 to Hendrick Hudson last week, however, the game was abruptly cut short after the first half. The Tigers had 17 eligible players but lost three to injuries by halftime, Lohud.com reported.

The Tigers forfeited their game against Valhalla this week. The program is hoping to keep its Sept. 19 matchup against Irvington.

Briarcliff/Hamilton ‘Hit Pretty Hard by Injuries’

Briarcliff/Hamilton is coming off a 21-20 loss to Greeley last Friday. The Bears were scheduled to take on Pearl River on Thursday, but safety concerns forced the team to pull out.

The report noted that the Bears’ roster has 19 healthy players, including four freshmen.

“We’ve been hit pretty hard by injuries, and the short week didn’t help,” Briarcliff/Hamilton athletic director Chris Drosopoulos told Lohud.com. “In theory we have the numbers, but can’t put some of those kids out there against Pearl River. We probably would’ve stopped the game at halftime and probably would’ve been knocked out the following week, too, had we played.”

Up next on Briarcliff/Hamilton’s schedule is Pelham on Sept. 18.

Not Just Section I Teams with Low Numbers

Lohud.com mentioned that two Section II teams Cambridge/Salem and Hoosic Valley, and two Section XI squads Port Jefferson and Amityville, canceled their 2026 seasons before even playing their first game.

“I’ve never seen this in my time here,” Drosopoulos said via Lohud.com. “Unfortunately, the football numbers in New York aren’t as robust as they once were.”