The varsity football season for Michigan's Caro High School is over.

The team - players, coaches and administrators - recently voted to end the program's season after losing players to injuries, including concussions.

The fear was that younger players, now forced to step up, would be put in harm's way, according to the team.

The Tigers had started the season with 25 players, according to the Tuscola County Advertiser, but because of injuries, had to promote eight sophomores from the junior varsity team to reach 22 on the varsity team.

"It has come to a point in our Varsity Football program where the school is very concerned with the safety and overall morale of our student athletes participating on our Varsity Football team," school Superintendent Mike Joslyn said in an email, according to the Tuscola County Advertiser. "We have played six out of nine games and our team has struggled to keep kids physically healthy."

An estimated 1.1 million boys play high school football in the U.S. and concussions have emerged as a growing concern.

In the last month alone, three high school players have died after playing on the field. On New York's Long Island, Tom Cutinella died Oct. 1 at a hospital after colliding with an opponent and collapsing during a game.

On the college level, this season, two Division I football quarterbacks - the University of Connecticut's Casey Cochran and University of Texas QB David Ash - called it quits after sustaining multiple concussions.

And University of Michigan football coach Brady Hoke came under fire when he kept a visibly wobbly sophomore quarterback in the game after he'd suffered a vicious hit.

Hoke later defended the team's decision, sparking protests and calls for his resignation.

The quarterback - Shane Morris - was later found to have suffered a concussion.

In the email to the Advertiser, Joslyn apologized to the remaining seniors and the teams that now needed to scramble to find schools to play.

"These kids have futures beyond football," Joslyn said.