HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — Local athletes are fighting for the chance to play; Harrisburg High School athletes held a rally outside of the district building on Monday for their spot on the gridiron.

Many football players at the school were crushed when the superintendent canceled the fall season, including junior Anthony Day.

“We looked like a championship team out there and for them to cancel our season, just broke all of our hearts,” Day said.

For single mom Liz Wright, the decision stole a major opportunity from her son, who is the quarterback for the team.

“If there’s any way possible that we could get help with him, a scholarship for football or basketball, because he plays both, it would be a lot easier on us,” Wright said. “I want to get him out of Harrisburg, and sports seems to be the avenue for a lot of our kids to get out of Harrisburg.”

She hopes the rally will make the superintendent reconsider.

“Let our kids play. I don’t see why they can’t play when there are other schools playing right here in our neighborhood,” Wright said.

Kaseim Gregg is one of the athletes leading the charge. He has a 4.0 GPA so he has academics to fall back on, but football is still a huge part of his life.

“Football means a lot to us in the community. I always played it,” Gregg said. “For it to be my senior year, I just want one more year to play it even if I don’t get to play in college.”

They hope that message is heard.

“I just want him to look into the decision he made and hopefully overturn it and give us the chance to play again,” Gregg said.

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