ST. GEORGE — A youth football team in St. George was sidelined on Tuesday night — not because of poor performance or rule violations, but because of their size.

The Pineview Panthers, made up of eighth graders aged 12 to 14, were set to play a league game in the Southern Utah Nevada Youth Football League. But the league canceled the matchup, citing safety concerns due to the number of large players on the team.

League officials said the team includes 11 players classified as “X-Men” — a designation for athletes over 160 pounds. Eight of those players also played eighth-grade football last year and returned this season. League president Darry Alton described the team as “stacked,” comparing them to “The Avengers,” and said many of the players could be competing at the JV or varsity level.

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