Quincy football coach cites safety concerns in forfeiting 2018 opener to Zillah
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Quincy head football coach Wade Petersen cited safety concerns when forfeiting Friday night's season opener against Zillah. The Jacks have only practiced outside two days because of poor air quality standards and Petersen said he didn't feel like they would be ready for game conditions. Quincy will open Sept. 7 at Brewster,
Rodney Harwood/Columbia Basin Herald Quincy football will forfeit its 2018 season opener with Zillah on Friday night. Jacks head coach Wade Petersen cited safety concerns because his team has been confined to practicing indoors because of poor air conditions caused by wildfire smoke. The Jacks were finally able to practice for the first time on Monday. Here Connor Donovan runs through the gap during a drill on Tuesday.
QUINCY — Quincy head coach Wade Petersen decided to err on side of caution with his 2018 football season opener on Friday night against Zillah.
Petersen forfeited the game, stating he had safety concerns because his team has only been able to practice outside one day so far. Petersen said he had concerns about being physically prepared for game conditions when he talked to Zillah coach Ron Rood on Monday.
“In accordance with our school guidelines, we haven’t been able to practice outside until (Monday). So there’s no way we’re ready and I don’t think it’s safe,” Petersen said during Tuesday’s practice. “It’s not that we’re not prepared in terms of knowing the plays or what to do. It’s just a safety concern.”
The Jacks (0-1) are coming off a 6-4 season in 2017, finishing 1-3 in the Central Washington Athletic Conference. They will play one less nonleague game with the decision.
“I talked to them, maybe we cancel and you can re-schedule somebody else that has canceled. Or maybe run it like a jamboree with early whistles. Both of us missed our jamboree (because of poor air quality conditions caused by area wildfires),” Petersen said. “But they said if you’re canceling, then it’s a forfeit.
“It is what it is and it’s out of my hands. We’ll open our season at Brewster (Sept. 7) and go from there.”