Amityville Memorial High School has had a football program that has won multiple titles since 1950, but yesterday, the school abruptly announced they were not having a varsity season this year. “I know how hard my teammates were working and looking forward to this season,” said Sekou Diallo, an Amityville senior who plays tight end and linebacker. “We have a big game against our rival Wyandanch soon, only to find out that we’re not gonna be able to play. It’s so disappointing.” In a letter to the school community, Superintendent Gina Talbert said in part, “Taking into account numerous player injuries on the varsity level, the program has made the decision to pause varsity competition for the upcoming season and focus all resources on a junior varsity schedule. This decision centers entirely on student-athlete safety and long-term program health. Football is a physically demanding sport, and fielding a varsity squad without sufficient upperclassman depth creates unnecessary safety risks for younger athletes.” Talbert went on to write that “transitioning our focus to junior varsity allows our players to build physical strength, master core fundamentals, and compete against age-appropriate competition in a controlled, growth-oriented environment.” For the seniors, this means they will not play their last high school season. “The brotherhood, especially my teammates, the bond was ultimately like the best. I just love the brotherhood. It was like another family a place I could call home, and now it’s over,” said Diallo. “Nobody’s injured,” said senior Zaquai Pettway who disagrees with the reason for dismantling the varsity team. “I think we have a good team. We have some good players. We were going to do good this year.” State and league regulations prohibit seniors from playing at the junior varsity level, but the district says it is actively working to support these young men “through leadership roles within the program and by exploring all available avenues to honor their dedication.” Junior athlete Anari Armstrong wants to play in college, but now that there’s no varsity season, he’s at a loss. “I’ve been playing varsity for three years,” said Armstrong. “What am I supposed to do now?” Amityville is the third high school on Long Island to drop its varsity football season this year, following Port Jefferson and Holy Trinity. Section XI officials say with small schools, it can be hard to field a full roster and interest in certain sports can be cyclical. For some of these players, it’s a final season taken away before it even began. “I don’t know what to do,” said senior Carl Rodriguez-Williams. “I went from having a schedule and having my year planned, and this kind of messed everything up.” ...read more read less