Tennessee High School Football Team Forfeits Playoff Game

Chattanooga Central forfeits 3A playoff game due to lack of healthy players

Chattanooga Central has forfeited a playoff game in Tennessee. / Chattanooga Central School

A Tennessee high school football team has caught the forfeit bug, this time resulting in a playoff game being canceled.

According to a report by the Chattanooga Times Free Press, Chattanooga Central will not field a team for a Class 3A opening round playoff game scheduled vs. Giles County due to a lack of healthy players.

“There are several factors that went into this decision,” Dr. Leangela Rogers, Chattanooga Central’s principal said. “First and foremost were the number of injuries that the team has sustained, which would leave us putting much younger kids on the field who have limited experience and aren’t ready.

“That becomes a safety concern.”

Cost Of Playoff Trip Factored In To Decision

Rogers also acknowledged the cost of a postseason trip being “between $4,000 to $5,000 to load up the team, cheerleaders and band and travel that far away.”

Chattanooga Central has had a difficult season on the football field, going just 1-9. The last win came in late September when they defeated Howard Tech, 18-12.

Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association rules indicate that the Purple Pounders will not be eligible to qualify for the 2026 Tennessee high school state football playoffs due to the forfeit.

“We weighed all the factors,” Rogers said, “and decided this was the right decision for our team and our school.”

Tennessee Rules Allowed For Team To Qualify For Postseason

Chattanooga Central competes in a four-team region, with TSSAA playoff rules noting that the Top 4 finishers in each regional across all six public school classifications automatically qualify for the playoffs.

Last week, the Purple Pounders suffered a 35-0 loss to Tyner Academy. They have dropped four straight, scoring just 14 points during that time.

The Purple Pounders will also be required to pay Giles County $2,000 to compensate for lost revenue. 

Coach Admits His Team Isn't Playoff-Caliber

Glen Carter, the head coach of Chattanooga Central who helped the team to seven wins last year including a playoff victory, said it was a “tough” decision to make.

“It was especially hard having to tell the kids and I hate it for the seniors,” he added. “We all felt this was the right choice for the school, the players and our school community.”

Carter noted that the team scored seven touchdowns during the year, saying, “We’re just not a playoff-caliber team right now.”

Giles County will now take an 8-3 record and seven-game win streak into the next round of the postseason. The Bobcats have not lost since early in September to Watertown, 26-21.

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