WHITE PIGEON – White Pigeon Community Schools has made the decision to pull the plug on its football season.
In a statement released Tuesday, Sept. 15 by the district, both athletic director Brooke Baechler and superintendent Shelly McBride announced last Friday's game for the Chiefs would be the final one of the 2026 season.
Both Baechler and McBride spoke with The Sturgis Journal on Tuesday night confirming the end of the season. Both agreed that although it is a tough situation at the time, the community support has been a positive one.
"I have been incredibly proud of our community for the support they've shown this year," McBride said. "Incredibly proud of that."
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White Pigeon had lost its opening three games of the season. Hartford and Cassopolis won over the Chiefs by identical 60-0 scores, while Gobles then beat White Pigeon 36-0 last Friday.
The numbers play a role here. Baechler said the program started with some decent numbers during the summer, but that began to dwindle a bit in June. Those numbers took a hit too as the season came closer. Then, those participation numbers lessened again r...