Alabama High School Football Team Cancels Game Over Safety Concerns

Donoho was scheduled to face Wadley, one of the top 1A schools in Alabama

A single light shines in an empty Bulldog Stadium after a high school football game between Orange Grove and Ingleside in Orange Grove, Texas on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022. | Lucas Boland/Caller-Times / USA TODAY NETWORK

Citing the health of its players, an Alabama high school football team has cancelled its planned matchup with one of the top Class 1A programs in the state.

Accoridng to AL.com, Donoho High School will not take on Wadley this week. The two are 1A, Region 6 opponents, but Donoho is dealing with a series of injuries and sickness to a roster that started with just 25 players to begin the season.

Bill Smith, head coach at Donoho, said the decision “troubled my spirit all weekend.”

“We have some folks out, and we are really thin anyway,” he said. “We would have had to put some eighth and ninth graders in who are just physically not varsity players yet, so I made the decision out of safety concerns.”

Donoho has Struggled to Begin the Season

It has been a difficult start to the year for the Falcons, as they are 0-3 overall and have scored just 25 combined points in those games. Smith noted that several players are still in concussion protocol and a handful of others were already ruled out for the Wadley game.

On the flipside, the Bulldogs have rolled to begin the season, outscoring their three opponents, 160-37. They put up a state-record 56 points in the second quarter vs. Fayetteville a week ago.

Donoho is planning to return to action on Friday, September 19 when they host Winterboro. As for Wadley, they now take on Victory Christian that same evening at home. 

Several States Dealing with Teams Forfeiting Games, Seasons

High school programs around the United States have been battling with low numbers and other issues, as several states have seen teams cancel their planned varsity seasons this fall.

A handful of teams in Iowa high school football are no longer competing, including two that halted varsity games before the season even kicked off. Teams in both Nebraska and Missouri have done the same this year.