A Mississippi school is planning not to compete in the upcoming football season due to a lack of players.
Administrators at Thrasher Attendance Center in Booneville announced Wednesday that the school has seen a decline in the number of students who sign up to play middle and high school football, and the drop in roster numbers has made it “difficult for the teams to be as successful and competitive.”
“More recently, the low numbers have reached a point where safety has become an issue for the young men who are stepping on the field to represent our school,” a joint statement from school leadership reads. “Football is a physical game, and asking 11-15 young men to play every snap versus some of the strongest competition is dangerous and most assuredly not in their best interest.”
At the high school ranks, the 1A Rebels went 0-11 overall and 0-3 in district play last season, with a 2-0 loss to Hatley being the closest the team came to victory. Thrasher was outscored 451-72 with the average margin of defeat being just over 34 points.
With a lack of depth on the roster posing potential safety concerns, school officials are asking the Mississippi High School Activities Association to temporarily put the school’s football program on pause while they work to recruit more players to compete in campaigns beyond 2026.
“Looking forward to this season, it has become clear that not only are our numbers going to be low again, but it is almost a certainty that we will have enough players to field a team at the high school or middle school levels. This has forced us to make the very difficult decision to request that the MHSAA allow us to pause our football program and not compete in 2026,” the statement continued.
“It is our sincere hope that this will be a temporary necessity and that Willie T. Jackson Stadium at FC Dick Lowrey Field will once again be alive with the sights and sounds of Rebel football very soon. Thank you for your continued support, and Go Rebels!”
Spring practices are currently underway for many Mississippi high school football programs, while summer workouts are on the horizon. The 2026 football season is slated to begin in late August.