Another N.C. high school won’t be playing varsity football this year. Here’s why.
East Rutherford High School will not field a varsity football team this year.
Principal Tim Torvinen made the announcement via social media Friday. He wrote that the move was due to a “limited number of experienced upperclassmen returning, the lack of high school experience among many of our current players, and with the goal to compete at the varsity level in 2022, we believe this is the right choice for our program.”
Torvinen said that his coaches, players and parents “have beat the bushes” to try to field a team, including sponsoring meet-the-coaches nights, writing letters to perspective players, phone calls and home visits.
He said the school will try to adjust its junior varsity schedule to include as many games as possible.
East Rutherford, about an hour’s drive from uptown Charlotte, is believed to be the second N.C. high school to announce it was not playing varsity football this season due to a lack of numbers.
East Rutherford was 0-7 last spring and was outscored 301-42.
Earlier this week, Cedar Ridge High School in Orange County announced it would not field a varsity team after several returning players transferred to other schools.
In Charlotte, Garinger High, a 4A school that has fielded varsity teams for decades, initially announced it would only play junior varsity due to low numbers and a general lack of experience.
Garinger officials announced Thursday that they were reversing course, and Garinger will play varsity football this season.
This story was originally published August 13, 2021 at 8:36 PM.
