Hollister High School's football team won't play another game this season, a decision district officials said was made because there are no longer enough players to "safely" compete due to an investigation involving "members of the varsity" squad.
The cancellation comes four days after the Haybalers abruptly forfeited a scheduled game against Alisal High School just hours before kickoff, and less than two weeks after head coach Thomas Sullivan was placed on paid administrative leave as the district opened an investigation into the football program.
"The number of available student-athletes is not sufficient to safely field a team for the remainder of the scheduled games," San Benito High School District Superintendent Shawn Tennenbaum wrote in a letter to families on Monday.
District officials declined to say what prompted the investigation, citing student privacy and the ongoing nature of the review.
"The district is currently reviewing a matter involving members of the varsity football program," Tennenbaum wrote. "Because the matter involves individual students and remains under review, the district is limited in the information it can provide."
The decision, which came just before the school's homecoming game, ends what had been a promising season on the field. Hollister opened the year 3-0, including a 27-20 victory over Santa Clara's Wilcox High, a day after Sullivan was placed on leave, with former longtime coach Chris Cameron serving as interim head coach, according to BenitoLink and SFGate.
In a statement posted to social media, the district said only that it was conducting "an ongoing review of a recent report regarding team activities."
Neither the district nor school officials have disclosed the allegations being investigated. Sullivan was placed on administrative leave Sept. 10.
In Monday's letter, Tennenbaum emphasized that protecting student privacy and preserving the integrity of the investigation prevented the district from releasing additional information. He asked the community to respect the privacy of the students and families involved while the review continues.
"We recognize that this is disappointing news for our students, families, coaches and broader school community," he wrote. "We understand the time, effort, commitment, and support that go into a high school athletic season, and we recognize the impact this decision has on those who have invested so much in the program. This decision was not made lightly, and the district has carefully considered the circumstances and the interests of all our students."
SubscribeThere’s more to San Francisco with the Chronicle. Subscribe today for just 25¢.This article originally published at Northern California high school's football season is over amid investigation.