This article was an April Fools joke!

In a stunning move, the DCL announced last night that both the DCL Large and DCL Small divisions will not participate in any MIAA football games.  This came after a meeting on Saturday night, where the Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA)  proposed a new system for Massachusetts state playoffs. The new system would have almost tripled the number of teams in the playoffs. The move would make the playoffs more competitive but would also stretch the already long football season even longer.

The Dual County League (DCL) saw this as a chance to let high school kids play in a real playoff atmosphere. The vote failed 114 for the change to 190 against. The DCL then announced the season cancellation.

Since Wayland is part of the DCL Small, next year’s football season will be canceled.

Wayland football is a cornerstone of the atmosphere of Wayland High School. Every Friday night in the fall, people of all ages flood the stadium to watch the boys play. The famous Friday night ritual is over for at least one season, but the DCL says they won’t stop there. The DCL plans on boycotting the MIAA until the playoff system is brought back to be re-voted upon.

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“I agreed with the proposed new playoff system,” said Wayland head football coach Scott Parseghian. “I thought it would give us more reason to prepare each week for Friday because you’re not out of the picture after 2 or 3 league losses. It’s too bad that we have come to this point, but I’m sure the DCL knows what they’re doing.”

The MIAA has responded to the DCL’s boycott by saying that the loss of one league wouldn’t cause them to re-vote.

“There were 190 schools that voted against this system. The DCL is a small part of the state. If they want out, that’s their prerogative. We don’t need them, they need us,” said a MIAA Football Committee spokesman.

Next year’s seniors will be affected the most by this sudden change. Many student atheletes have been waiting since the beginning of their freshman football seasons for the day they could be the big men on campus, captains of the football team. That dream will never come true for some.

“I think it’s unfair. I’ve worked so hard for this season, even though I missed last year’s because of my back. So to have my senior season stolen from me is really devastating.” says junior and former captain Eddie McCarthy.

There are many other dedicated athletes who give up their time and, for many, vacations, to sojourn in the House of Pain to get stronger and ready for the season. All this time has gone to waste because of one executive decision.

Just four seasons ago, Ben Sharry and Tony Torres led the Warriors to a division 1A state championship. Who would have thought that in four years the Warriors would be completely off the football map?

This article is part of a series published on the first day of April.