Hazen High School in Renton announced on Thursday, October 8, 2026, that it has canceled the rest of its varsity football regular season. Principal Craig Cooper communicated to Hazen staff, students, and families that the team faced "an insufficient number of available varsity-level players to safely compete" due to a combination of injuries, player attrition, and academic suspensions.
This decision impacts several scheduled games. Varsity contests against Issaquah on October 9, Eastlake on October 16, and Skyline on October 23, along with a cross-divisional game on October 30, have all been forfeited. The junior varsity and C-team games against these opponents were also canceled. The KingCo Conference has accepted and approved these forfeitures.
Principal Cooper indicated that efforts are underway to find potential opponents for the players who remain in the football program, with updates to be provided as new games are added to the schedule.
The District athletic director, Jesse Snyder, later confirmed that Hazen football had forfeited its remaining conference schedule and would seek to arrange games with other teams. Snyder also acknowledged awareness of a letter containing certain claims but offered no further comment on it.
This development at Hazen High School closely follows a similar situation in Federal Way. Just one week before Hazen's announcement, Todd Beamer High School in Federal Way canceled its varsity football season due to concerns over player safety. The Todd Beamer Titans had an 0-5 record at the time, having been outscored 147-0 in their final three games against Thomas Jefferson, Kent-Meridian, and Decatur.
The decision at Hazen also emerged after details from a letter, reportedly from four senior captains, came to light. The letter, contained in an email from a Hazen High School student on October 7, stated the captains were quitting the team. It requested a new head coach and alleged that Head Coach Marcus Carr was absent during halftime, forcing players to act as adults. The letter also claimed the coach received head pats from his girlfriend, who reportedly blamed players for his not being fed at home after a loss. According to the captains' letter, practices had only 15 players in pads, and "half the team is injured without backups as people continue to quit."
As of October 7, the four senior captains identified in the letter—Marcus Palanchuck, Jayden Keen, Noah Harris, and Chris Kim—were no longer listed on the Hazen roster.
Hazen High School held an 0-5 record at the time of the season's cancellation. This record included a significant 61-0 loss to Mount Si on September 25, which occurred one week prior to the team's forfeit against Bellevue.
Principal Cooper acknowledged that the loss of the varsity football season extends beyond the players, impacting students, families, and community members who attend games. It also affects groups such as the marching band, cheer, and dance teams, which have dedicated significant effort since the summer to contribute to the "Hazen Highlander community" football experience. Cooper expressed gratitude for their role and mentioned that solutions are being explored to preserve senior recognition activities that had been planned for the October 16 game against Eastlake. He also stated that while many questions were anticipated, the situation was evolving, and the school was committed to keeping its community informed.
This marks the second instance in two years that a Hazen High School sports team has canceled its season mid-year. Last year, a coaching change for the Hazen dance team resulted in all but one dancer quitting for the competition season.
