Scottsdale Saguaro (Ariz.) football has canceled its game against long-standing rival Scottsdale Chaparral on Friday, Sept. 4, because of concerns about player safety, as reported by AZCentral, part of the USA TODAY Network.
The cancellation comes after concerns about Saguaro's roster numbers.
In late July, first-year Scottsdale Saguaro football coach Butch Goncharoff announced that the school would not field a junior varsity or freshman team, but rather keep the 35 players in the program on varsity. After former head coach Darius Kelly was let go following last season, 35 players transferred out.
The Scottsdale Unified School District posted a statement regarding the cancellation on its website after the Sabercats' 62-0 loss to Desert Mountain last Friday, Aug. 28.
"The health and safety of our student athletes must remain our highest priority. Football is a physically demanding sport, and asking students to compete when roster numbers and position availability are significantly limited could place those student athletes at an increased risk of injury,'' the statement read in part. "After reviewing the circumstances, we determined that moving forward with the game would not be in the best interest of our students."
The yearly matchup between Saguaro and Chaparral, known as "The Battle For Scottsdale," is one of the longest-standing rivalries in Arizona high school football. The programs have met since the mid-1970s, but the rivalry heightened in the 2000s as both teams regularly competed for state titles.
Saguaro has won 14 state championships, with its most recent title coming in 2023.
With the cancellation, Chaparral will instead host Tempe on Sept. 4. Tempe also had a hole in their schedule after Phoenix Carl Hayden cancelled its game with the Buffaloes due to similar concerns over roster numbers and player safety.
Saguaro athletic director David Abrams said the team plans on using this week to rest up so it can be ready to play against ALA Queen Creek at home on Sept. 10.
"Saguaro does have some kids out right now, and we're concerned about health and not having enough numbers, but we fully plan on continuing the season and getting past this week," Scottsdale Unified School District athletic director Stephen Cervantez told The Republic. "No plan to cancel the season whatsoever. Coach Goncharoff and his training staff, they just need some time to get some kids back."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Arizona high school football powerhouse cancels long-standing rivalry game
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