Cedar Ridge High School will not field a varsity football team for the upcoming 2018 fall semester following an analysis of the football program by school officials, Orange County Schools announced Tuesday. This decision was made just one year after East Chapel Hill High School stated that it would not be fielding a varsity football team during fall 2017.
With just five rising seniors and nine rising juniors who have chosen to play football for Cedar Ridge in the fall, the school said it will not offer a varsity football program due to safety reasons.
“We believe football to be an important part of our athletic program and our entire school community,” said Seth Stephens, chief communications officer for Orange County Schools, in a statement. “It is our responsibility to consider a variety of things when fielding a varsity team, none more important than safety.”
Seth Stephens said that some students decided not to continue their football careers this upcoming semester for a variety of reasons, which has decreased the team’s size. After analyzing injury data, Cedar Ridge High School decided that fewer upperclassmen participating will inhibit efforts to offer a varsity football program for the 2018 fall semester.
According to Orange County Board of Education member Brenda Stephens, the board was not involved in determining the outcome for Cedar Ridge High School’s varsity team.
Another board member, Donna Coffey, added that the decision was solely made by the superintendent and the principal.
“It seems like it was a decision made in a vacuum,” Coffey said.
Cedar Ridge High School plans to field a junior varsity football team this fall, which is expected to play a full schedule of games. Seth Stephens added that continuing the junior varsity program will offer first-years, sophomores and juniors to become more experienced so that Cedar Ridge can cultivate a strong varsity team in the coming years.
The varsity football program is expected to be restored in the fall of 2019.
