The injury-plagued Sammamish Totems forfeited their Oct. 30th contest with Mercer Island, marking the team’s third-consecutive forfeit due to team injuries and illness.

The Totems’ varsity roster had dwindled from 36 to between 14 and 17 players. Sammamish athletic director Pat McCarthy said the cancellations this year were simply the result of low turnout and a high number of injuries.

“They’re typical injuries you get in sports,” McCarthy said. “We want to get kids back, but we’re not getting kids back in time for Mercer Island.”

McCarthy said after the program canceled the team’s Oct. 9 and Oct. 16 games, administrators were evaluating whether to play the following scheduled contests on a week-to-week basis. Players are still practicing regularly, and administrators hope the situation they’re experiencing this year is ultimately an anomaly. McCarthy said if enough players become healthy, the team is targeting to play one final week 10 football game.

“We base everything with where our kids are,” McCarthy said. “The community has been supportive and so have the other schools.”

Mercer Island has seen its own roster of 48 diminish as well and can sympathize.

“This year, we’re pretty close to that,” Mercer Island coach Brett Ogata said of the injury numbers. “We had 30 kids play against Bothell. Of our 22 seniors, only six have not missed any time. Usually, that number is only one or two seniors by this time [of the season]. This year, it’s 16.”

Mercer Island had tried to schedule a make-up contest, though were unable to find any takers at this juncture of the season. Ogata said in place of the game, he was giving his team the night off, as the season was near its end and his players are still pretty banged up.

“It’s a tough deal; no one ever wants to forfeit games,” Ogata said. “It comes down to the kids having a good experience. Kids are missing opportunities to play and they don’t get many of these games in their life. It’s too bad it happens.”

Mercer Island’s athletic department is currently working on scheduling the Islanders’ week 10 matchup.