Nanticoke and Hanover Area have become the latest teams to opt out of participating in the District 2 football playoffs.
With one game left, against each other, the Trojans (3-6) and Hawkeyes (2-6) were ranked eighth and ninth in the 10-team District 2 ratings race for spots in the eight-team Class 3A tournament.
That leaves last-place Holy Redeemer in the eighth spot, which would put the Royals (2-7) into a quarterfinal game against one of the district’s three powers in the bracket – Wyoming Area (7-1), Scranton Prep (8-0) and Lakeland (8-1). Those three teams are in a tight race for the top seed.
The decisions by Nanticoke and Hanover Area bring to four the total of District 2 schools choosing not to send their teams into the football playoffs.
Holy Cross (3-6) chose not to play again against Old Forge (8-0) in a District 2 Class A championship game between the only two teams of that size. Old Forge will receive a bye into the District 1-2 Subregional championship game for entry into the state bracket. Old Forge defeated Holy Cross, 55-6, in their regular-season meeting.
Montrose, which would not have made the playoffs unless other teams dropped out, declared out of consideration for the District 2 Class 4A quarterfinals. The Meteors, one of two winless Class 4A teams, are among 11 teams in the classification where an eight-team tournament is conducted.
