St. Paul Humboldt on Friday will play its first varsity football game since last Oct. 14 when the Hawks travel to Waterville-Elysian-Morristown High School for a game not originally on either team’s schedule.

Officials at Waterville-Elysian-Morristown learned last Wednesday that its homecoming game opponent, Gibbon-Fairfax Winthrop, had forfeited after a school investigation of a hazing incident involving players. Desperate to find a replacement team because of the scheduled homecoming festivities, activities director Jeff Boran called Humboldt activities director David Mergens to ask about arrangoing a game.

Mergens told Humboldt coach Arnulfo Flores about the possible contest. After a day of internal discussions with his staff and players, Flores agreed to the game.

“This is going to be a great experience for our players, especially our ninth- and 10th-graders,” Flores said. “To go down there on a Friday night and it is their homecoming, which will create a good atmosphere for us to be tested in.”

Humboldt decided in March to suspend its varsity season in an effort to rebuild the program. This fall the Hawks’ junior varsity team has an undefeated record. It will travel to Waterville with a healthy and full roster of 25 players.

Waterville-Elysian-Morristown, a Class 2A school, has a 3-3 record this season. Flores said Humboldt matches up well, noting that the Hawks’ roster includes 10 upperclassmen and the Buccaneers have 17 juniors and seniors.

The nearly 60-mile trip to southern Minnesota will be Humboldt’s longest to a road game this season.

“It sounds like people from the community are joining us down there,” Flores said. “The word got out and they are coming down to support us.”

ELLIS L. WILLIAMS