WRAL Sports Fan

WRALSportsFan

Football To Remain On Schedule At Moore County School

Nov 10, 2006

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. — Pinecrest High School will continue fielding a varsity football team, the school's principal said Tuesday.

School officials last week discussed the possibility of dropping varsity football because of a lack of participation.

"Our team will be on the field every Friday night of the season this year and every year unless circumstances prevent us from doing this," Principal Joel County said in a statement.

Pinecrest High's varsity team has only 25 players, well below the average for most 4-A schools. Because of the small number, players often play both offense and defense with few substitutions, and County said he feared for the players' safety and raised the possibility of fielding only junior varsity and freshman teams.

Parents, students, coaches and community members met with school officials in recent days to express support for the varsity program, and County said that convinced him to continue playing.

"We are always evaluating our programs, both athletic and academic, for improvement and will continue to do so," he said. "We look forward to a growing and improving football program and encourage everyone to support our team as we continue with the 2006 football season."