PELICAN RAPIDS, Minn.-Pelican Rapids decided Friday to forfeit Tuesday's opening-round playoff football game with Breckenridge due to injuries. The Vikings have nine starters that can't play due to injury and only four juniors and seniors remaining for what would have been the Minnesota Class 2A, Section 6 quarterfinal game.
'It's terrible," Pelican Rapids coach David Haugen said. "Everything you teach your team is for the end of the season and we can't go. Ultimately, it's about the safety of the kids. Hardest decision I've made as a coach."
Haugen said it wasn't a bunch of injuries at the same time, but just trickled down throughout the season. The final straw was after the Barnesville game to end the regular season Thursday.
"We ended up losing two guys in the Barnesville game and that was it. It's just been one thing after another," Haugen said. "The coaches and I met and we made the decision and we brought it to our athletic director. I haven't heard anything from parents yet."
Breckenridge is 7-1 headed into the playoffs and Pelican Rapids was 0-8. The Cowboys topped Pelican Rapids 46-3 two weeks ago. Haugen said he didn't expect Breckenridge to take it easy on the Vikings and he understood why.
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"Breckenridge can't hold back on us because we're injured," Haugen said. "It's the playoffs. You can't mess around and you have to go hard. We just don't have varsity players. They will be someday, but not now."
Breckenridge coach Chad Fredericksen understood where Pelican Rapids was coming from.
"Really feel bad for them." Fredericksen said. "Not the way you'd like to end the year. Lots of respect for Pelican."
