Ross Christian drops football region play
Concord Christian has informed the TSSAA it has dropped its high school varsity football program while putting an emphasis on building its middle school program to increase numbers.
The Lions — who are coached by former University of Tennessee fullback Troy Fleming — have had a TSSAA varsity football program the past three seasons.
The program went winless in that span, going 0-29.
“Concord Christian has informed us they will not have a varsity football program next year,” TSSAA executive director Bernard Childress said. “They want to focus on their middle school program and grow it.”
Childress said Concord Christian, which is located in Knoxville, is one of three schools that have informed the TSSAA that they do not plan on competing in a region schedule.
While Concord Christian is dropping football, Franklin’s Grace Christian Academy and Rossville Christian Academy in West Tennessee have told the high school association they plan on competing in a independent schedule and not playing their region opponents.
GCA is coached by former Tennessee Titans quarterback Rusty Smith. GCA reached the Class 1A football playoffs for the first time in school history this past season, going 6-5 losing to state runner-up Cornersville in the second round of the postseason. Rossville Christian went 0-10. Childress said TSSAA policy states that if a school drops out of the region series, the school is also out of the basketball postseason.
The schools plan on appealing the basketball postseason ban at the Board of Control’s June meeting. In past years, the board has approved schools to continue to play in the basketball postseason.
Childress said Concord Christian officials informed him that the school would like to eventually bring high school varsity football back if participation improves.
As of 2014, Concord had an enrollment of 562 students, with 108 in high school.
“This was not an easy decision, but one that needed to be made,” Concord Christian head of school Mark Kelly said in a release. “Although this is a disappointment to our student athletes, coaching staff and football fans, it is ultimately the right decision for Concord and the long-term success of our athletic program.”
The release said the school is making a plan to have junior varsity football for the 2019-20 school year.
If Concord Christian doesn’t bring back varsity football in 2019, the school would have to wait until 2021 to compete in the TSSAA playoff series due to the TSSAA’s classification cycle and two-year football contracts.
Childress said none of the schools’ region opponents will pick up a league win, but will pick up an overall win. He said if the opponents replace the game it will count in the overall standings and there will be no forfeited win.
Concord Christian competed in Division II-A’s East Region. Franklin Grace competed in Region 5-1A and Rossville Christian competed in DIIA’s West Region.