NCHSAA addresses West Bladen varsity football season cancellation

BLADEN COUNTY, N.C. (WWAY) — West Bladen High School’s varsity football season may be over, but the cancellation of its remaining games could have an impact across the conference and into the postseason.

North Carolina High School Athletic Association Commissioner Que Tucker says West Bladen’s completed games, statistics and conference results will remain on the books.

The Southeastern 3A/4A/5A Conference will be responsible for determining how to handle West Bladen’s remaining games, including whether they will be recorded as forfeits or no contests.

Tucker said the conference, which includes Whiteville, South Columbus and South Brunswick, has already met at least once following the news.

How those remaining games are handled could also affect RPI, the formula used for postseason rankings.

Teams that were scheduled to face West Bladen could finish the regular season with nine games instead of 10 or find another opponent. Tucker said either scenario could have an impact on RPI.

The cancellation also leaves questions about what comes next for West Bladen’s players. Healthy seniors cannot play football at another school this season without a bona fide change in their primary residence.

The NCHSAA does not restrict which grade levels can play junior varsity or varsity football. However, individual conferences can establish their own rules on players moving, particularly when athlete safety is a concern.