First Flight High School in Kill Devil Hills, N.C., has canceled the remainder of its varsity football season, citing current roster and safety concerns. Current football players will be offered positions on the JV team if opponents approve of the switch.
According to My Fox 8 News, principal Joseph Bell Tyson said the current roster did not have the depth to compete. A lack of healthy players shrank the roster to unsustainable numbers.
“Simply put, we do not have enough varsity players or adequate depth across the roster to safely continue the season,” said Tyson in an email to parents, adding that First Flight could not “safely sustain the demands of varsity competition.”
First Flight High School’s decision to cancel the season was made with careful consideration from athletics leadership, coaches and athletic trainers after the team fell to 0-4 record in games so far this season. The Nighthawks lost to Perquimans County High School, Camden County High School, Catholic of Virginia Beach High School, and failed to score a single point against Manteo High School.
“We recognize the tremendous commitment and effort our football players, coaches, and families have made this season,” Tyson said in a statement. “We understand how difficult this decision is, particularly for our seniors. However, our responsibility is to make decisions that protect the health and safety of our students. We simply do not have enough varsity players or the depth necessary to safely continue competing at the varsity level.”
First Flight competes in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association Northeastern Coastal 3A/4A/5A Conference in the 4A division. While student-athletes have been granted permission to compete with the JV team, it does not appear that they would be allowed to compete on another school’s team for a varsity experience.
The Nighthawks’ next JV game is scheduled for Sept. 24th.
