'I feel horrible:' LASA forfeits the 3 games left on its high school football schedule

Players listen to instructions from coaches during football practice at Liberal Arts and Science Academy Thursday, Sept. 21, 2023. LASA football is 4-0 for the first time in school history. (Mikala Compton/Austin American-Statesman) LASA's football season is over. The Liberal Arts and Science Academy will forfeit its three remaining District 12-5A Division II games against Pflugerville, Crockett and Bastrop due to low numbers, Austin school district athletic director Jason Glenn confirmed Thursday night. "It's unfortunate," Glenn told the American-Statesman. "We're working through some things to make sure that those kids have a good and safe experience the rest of the way."Pflugerville ISD athletics posted on social media Thursday afternoon that LASA, which was 0-7 entering this week, had forfeited Friday's game against Pflugerville. But Glenn said the Raptors' season is done and he has contacted Bastrop ISD officials regarding the Nov. 5 game against the Bears. (Crockett is an Austin ISD school already overseen by Glenn.) Glenn noted he sympathizes with the three other schools affected. "I feel horrible, not just for the Austin ISD kids, but for those kids from other districts who worked all offseason and all summer," he said. "And not just the football players, but the band, fine arts and cheer kids. Schools deserve to have 10 football games." Friday's game at the Pfield was supposed to be Pflugerville's homecoming, but that has now been rescheduled for Nov. 5 against Crockett.LASA only scored 26 points this season and has been shut out four times. It's the second time in three years that LASA, which has struggled with participation, has affected other area schools' schedules. Two weeks after the UIL released its biennial realignment in February 2024, LASA informed its district opponents it would not be playing a UIL varsity schedule for that district cycle, forcing the district football schedule to be redrawn. That left several Central Texas schools, including Pflugerville, Crockett and Bastrop, scrambling to find another opponent at a time when most programs had already solidified their schedules. LASA Principal Stacia Crescenzi cited safety concerns and numbers for that decision. The Raptors played a non-honors schedule in both 2024 and 2025, competing mainly against private schools. High school sports reporter Shaun Chornobroff contributed to this report.Sign up for the Daily Briefing from the Austin American-Statesman. Start your day with the must-read headlines from Austin's most trusted news source.This article originally published at 'I feel horrible:' LASA forfeits the 3 games left on its high school football schedule.