QUESTION: Why was Turrentine Middle School forced to cancel its football game on Wednesday – and why was it forfeited in advance to Hawfields Middle School?
ANSWER: The football game scheduled for Wednesday, September 17 between Turrentine and Hawfields Middle schools was canceled after Turrentine players failed to submit documentation that is required by the state Department of Public Instruction and the Alamance-Burlington school system in order to be eligible to participate in school sports.
Because the football game against Hawfields was canceled due to “non-compliance,” it automatically counts as a win for Hawfields’ Huskies and will not be made up, Turrentine Middle School principal Scott Moore said Tuesday morning in an email to Turrentine parents. “We understand that our entire Turrentine community is heartbroken that we find ourselves in this position.”
Turrentine Middle School athletic director Allen Wolff initially directed prospective team members to submit the required forms by August 8 via an online platform. Those documents must be submitted before athletes can even try out for football, cross country, boys’ soccer, cheer/dance, tennis, and volleyball, according to Turrentine’s athletics department.
A message posted on the athletics department webpage for Turrentine Middle School stated: “All athletes that are trying out are required to have the forms filled out before they step out on Day 1!!!”
More than a month later, some student-athletes still hadn’t submitted their required documentation, according to ABSS officials. (School officials have historically pointed to federal education privacy laws that they say prohibit them from identifying specific students.)
“The Athletics Department uses the DragonFly platform to collect a number of health and safety forms that help keep athletic programs in compliance,” ABSS chief communications officer Emily-Lynn Adkins told The Alamance News on Wednesday afternoon. “This includes physical examination forms, medical history eligibility, participation consent, concussion information, and the ABSS athletic policy manual.”
ABSS set a deadline of last Friday, September 12 for all athletic teams to submit their “compliance reports,” Adkins elaborated. “There were a number of student athletes that have not met the requirements and the program was forced to forfeit their game,” she said. “Likewise, athletes are not able to practice until they meet requirements. These systems are in place to keep our student athletes and coaching staff safe throughout the season.”
Meanwhile, Moore also informed Turrentine parents in his email that there would be no football or dance/cheer practice on Tuesday or Wednesday afternoons. “Any student athletes that remain non-compliant with eligibility will not be able to participate when practices resume on Thursday. To assist us with compliance, parents may log into their child’s DragonFly account and ensure that all documentation is updated and current.
Turrentine’s Trojans have six games, and Hawfields’ Huskies have five games, remaining in regular-season play before county bowl games begin on November 3, according to their respective schedules for the 2025 football season.
School officials confirmed for the newspaper later Wednesday evening that Turrentine Middle is the only ABSS school deemed to be noncompliant with the athletic regulations; it is expected to be compliant by next week.
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