One high school football team was forced to forfeit the remainder of its season.

Lincoln Northwest High School (Lincoln, Nebraska) announced Friday that a decision had been made to cancel the rest of the varsity football season due to the amount of injuries and illness the team has suffered. The school will still compete in JV and freshman games this fall, just not varsity.

“We understand there may be disappointment behind this decision,” said JJ Toczek, LPS athletic and activities director told KSNB News. “The Falcons have experienced a number of injuries and we are unsure about timelines for when students will be able to return. Therefore, out of an abundance of caution and with student safety as our focus, we’ve decided to forfeit the remainder of the Northwest varsity football games.

The varsity team started the season with 75 players, and as many as 15 are currently out due to injuries and illness. Of the remaining 60 players on the team, 36 are freshman, per the report.

“We want our student-athletes to be safe and have a positive experience on and off the field to help them build their passion for the game. Our players will still be able to compete in junior varsity, reserve and freshmen competitions to build their experience as a team and player’s skills for future years,” athletic director Toczek added.