Swain County's football game against Mountain Heritage, scheduled for Sept. 11, has been canceled because the Maroon Devils do not have enough healthy players, Swain County Schools Superintendent Brandon Sutton told the Citizen Times.
The game has not officially been declared a forfeit, Sutton and Mountain Heritage coach Jered Pope said.
Whether the game ultimately goes down as a forfeit depends on whether Mountain Heritage can find another opponent, Pope said.
"That is to be determined," Pope said. "The reason that it is to be determined is if I can find a game next week, I may play it because I'm open next week."
Pope said Mountain Heritage is
treating Friday as an open date while it searches for another opponent.
It is the second consecutive week Swain County has been unable to play its scheduled game. The Maroon Devils forfeited their Sept. 4 game at Franklin.
Swain County coach Scott Riley told the Citizen Times on Aug. 31 that it didn't have enough healthy players to play against the Panthers.
Swain County competes in Class 2A, the second smallest classification in the North Carolina High School Athletic Association. The Bryson City program has historically been one of the state's best, winning eight state titles, with its last coming in 2011.
"It's tough on our kids," Sutton said. "We've got a history of tradition here. It's tough on them being out, but it's unavoidable, out of our control."
Sutton said the situation is currently week to week for the Maroon Devils. Several players are dealing with major injuries, while others are waiting on appointments to find out their status.
Sutton said the Maroon Devils hope to return to the field against Andrews on Sept. 18. He said they have added some new players recently. But under NCHSAA rules, those players must participate in at least eight separate days of team football practice, including three in full pads with body-to-body contact, before participating in a game.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Injuries force Swain County football to cancel Sept. 11 game vs Mountain Heritage
