The CIAC’s Class MM football quarterfinal game between No. 1 seed Windsor and No. 8 seed Northwest United has been ruled a forfeit, the CIAC announced Monday.
NW United, a co-op program hosted by Wolcott Tech in Torrington and including players from Nonnewaug, Lakeville High in Litchfield and Shepaug Valley in Washington, notified the CIAC on Saturday evening that they don’t have enough healthy players to compete in Tuesday night’s game.
Glenn Lungarini, the CIAC’s Executive Director, Gregg Simon, the Associate Executive Director, Leroy Williams, Chair of the Football Committee and James Benanto, the director of the CIAC football tournament discussed all possible scenarios and met with the CIAC football committee on Sunday night.
The CIAC determined that filling the spot with another team and asking Windsor and the new team to prepare for a different opponent with only two days’ notice could compromise the safety of the student-athletes.
Holy Cross (7-3) finished ninth in the CIAC’s Class MM rankings.
Fans who purchased tickets for Tuesday’s quarterfinal game will be issued a refund, according to the CIAC.
Windsor (11-0) has been awarded a win by forfeit and advances to the CIAC Class MM state semifinals, scheduled for Sunday, December 8. It is the first win by forfeit in a CIAC tournament football game since the CIAC began hosting playoffs in 1976.
NW United finishes the season at 9-2.
