The number of high schoolers playing football continued to drop in the 2016-17 school year in Oregon, according to a National Federation of State High School Associations report Monday.

In a nationwide audit of high school sports participation, the NFHS reported 791 fewer players participated in football from the 2015 season to the 2016 season, including a slight increase in participation in Class 1A (eight-player) football. It was a 5.7 percent decrease overall, though with 12,997 players, football is still the state’s most popular sport.

But overall, participation in school-sponsored sports — which in Oregon does not include non-OSAA sports like water polo, lacrosse, skiing and equestrian — was up 2.4 percent. The biggest gains were in boys track and field (661) and girls soccer (268). The biggest decreases were in football and softball, which was one of two girls sports, along with dance, to have less participation year-over-year.

The most popular girls sport continues to be track, with 7,629 participants in 2017, followed by volleyball (7,123). According to the report, 44 girls played football in Oregon last season and 348 wrestled.

— Bulletin staff report