Auburn High School Suspends Varsity Football for 2024-25 Season

Riner, Va. – Auburn High School in Montgomery County has announced that it will not field a varsity football team for the upcoming 2024-25 school year. The decision comes from Athletic Director Paul Dominy, who cited a notable lack of upperclassmen showing interest in participating this season.

“We had just 2 upperclassmen come out for the team and when we looked at the Sophomores and Freshmen coming out this year we did not feel that putting them against varsity competition was a safe thing for the players,” said Dominy. “We decided that the best course of action is to step back from varsity football for a year and to allow these players to mature.”

The team’s roster situation was unexpected. Dominy explained, “We’re a bit surprised ourselves. In the month of July, we were talking about whether or not there was a need to buy extra helmets.” As key players opted not to participate, the situation quickly deteriorated, leading to the ultimate decision to cancel the season.

Although Auburn has had shortened seasons due to roster issues in the past, this is the first instance of a complete cancellation of the varsity football program. Dominy expressed hope that this decision will benefit the players in the long run. “We’ve been in a situation in years past where we’ve had to play freshmen and sophomores on varsity. They’ve gotten injured and beaten up. By taking this step, we hope they will be better prepared when they reach the varsity level.”

Other students involved, such as marching band members and cheerleaders, will also be impacted by this decision. Auburn plans to include these groups in events during Wednesday night JV football games to ensure that they still enjoy their traditional experiences.

Looking forward, Dominy believes that the interest from younger players signals potential growth for Auburn football. “We know it’s a good decision. Our expectation and hope is that it’s going to have significant positive results over the next three, four, five years,” he stated. “We wish to return to a place where we are very competitive in football.”

As for the teams that were on Auburn’s schedule, Dominy mentioned a few options regarding the VHSL. They can accept the game as a forfeit, replace it with another game, or opt for a nine-game season that would still make them eligible for playoffs.