Holland High Gives Football The Boot For 2022

After giving up over 120 points in their first two games, the Holland Dutch announced they will be ending their football season early.

Holland Football Will Shut Down Their Season On September 16

The Dutch opened up their 2022 campaign with back to back embarrassing losses, 58-0 to crosstown rival Holland Christian and 63-8 to Comstock Park. Although the boys on the team gave their all, the coaches for the team decided to end the season early.

Athletic Director Blake Muller, in a statement posted to the school's web site, announced that the team will pack it in on September 16, following a game with Zeeland West.

With such a low number of upperclassmen (some of whom are playing this year for the first time) we have asked sophomores to fill most roster positions against varsity competition where there is a clear physical and developmental difference on the field. We are so proud of the fight that this team has shown since the first day of practice and the work they have put in to make these first four weeks possible. From recruiting friends to join the team, to lacing up despite being physically out-manned and out-matched, the efforts of this team will be remembered as they have helped us rebuild the Holland Football program.

 The Dutch Will Play Two More Games Before Throwing In The Towel

Games scheduled for this Friday, September 9 at Mona Shores and next Friday, September 16 with Zeeland West at Hope College will be played, says Muller, but the team will forfeit their remaining five games.

"It was tough," Muller explained to FOX 17. "It goes beyond the scoreboard for sure. It's not about wins and losses. You can still grow as a player and as a program even if you're getting beat and even if it's by a large margin. There's just such a physical and developmental different between seniors who are going on 18-years-old and sophomores who are 15-years-old and still growing into their bodies."

Six seniors will be honored for their commitment to rebuilding the program says Muller, and the rest of the team will be put on the Junior Varsity team, which will play its entire season out. The freshmen team will also play a full schedule. Those players will hopefully form a nucleus for a varsity team for 2023.

The six seniors who had their season cut short are Mateo Clawson, Nolan Currier, Paul Klomparens, Mario Lee, Donal Morin, and Santiago Solano.

Holland is in the OK Green Conference along with Mona Shores, Zeeland West, Zeeland East, Union, Reeths Puffer, Wyoming and Muskegon.

Teams scheduled to play Holland on future dates will be rewarded with a forfeit victory.

There is hope for the future of Dutch football. Other districts suffering from a shortage of players have recovered. The most recent example is White Cloud High School in Newaygo, which resumed varsity competition in 2020 after shutting down the 2019 season. This season, the Indians are 1-1 and fielded 34 players on the varsity team.