OSCODA - Sep. 22, 2006 - Pinconning picked up its first win of the season - and the first of Chip Kleinhans' varsity coaching career - but it wasn't the way the Spartans wanted it.

Pinny (1-4, 1-1 NEMC) was awarded a 2-0 victory over Oscoda after the Owls announced that they will forfeit the remainder of their varsity football games this season. John Glenn, Standish-Sterling, Pine River and Bridgeport likewise will pick up wins.

The Owls started the year with low numbers for a school its size and had the problem worsen as the season went on. Enough players were injured during Oscoda's 44-0 loss at Ogemaw Heights on Sept. 8 that their game at Tawas Area was moved back a day to Saturday, Sept. 16 to allow additional players to recover.

After a 44-0 loss to Tawas, the Owls hadn't scored in any of their four games.

According to a press release issued by the school, on Tuesday Sep. 19 there were "fewer than 11 athletes present at practice who could participate. At that time the decision was made for the best interest of the remaining team members to cancel the remainder of the 2006 football season."

The team most inconvenienced by the forfeiture was Standish-Sterling, which was scheduled to face the Owls for their homecoming contest on Oct. 6. SSC moved its homecoming week back two weeks, with its homecoming football game now to be played Oct. 20 against Montrose.