Davis County school district cancels its varsity football season

BLOOMFIELD, Iowa (KYOU) - The high school football season is almost here. But as players put on pads, one southeast Iowa school is already putting them away.

The Davis County Community School District says it’s cancelling its varsity season because of low participation and player safety concerns.

“The health and well-being of our student-athletes remain our highest priority, leading us to conclude that canceling the varsity season is the most responsible course of action,” the school shared in a statement.

Davis County will only play a Junior Varsity schedule.

There will be a meeting about the decision at 6 p.m. Tuesday at the High School Commons in Bloomfield.

“We commend the dedication, hard work, and resilience of our student-athletes, who have shown tremendous commitment to the team.”

Low player numbers have been an issue in recent years for smaller schools across Iowa.

Last year, several schools ended their varsity football seasons early, including Lone Tree in Johnson County.

This year, Lone Tree is combining with Highland in Riverside to field an 11-man team.