The King and Queen Central High School athletics department has announced the school will not field a varsity football team this fall.
“After careful review and consideration, we have determined that due to insufficient upperclassmen participation, King and Queen will not have enough players to field a varsity football team this season,” Central High Athletics Director Hayden Krautner told the Rappahannock Times in an email. “This decision, reached in consultation with Head Coach Calvin Darity, was not made lightly; however, it is a necessary step to safeguard our program’s long-term success and integrity.”
The Royal Tigers went 4-7 last season, losing 53-15 to Rappahannock in the opening round of the Region 1A playoffs. Among the team’s losses were a 20-19 defeat against Page County and a 15-14 setback against West Point.
Central also forfeited a game against eventual state champion Essex due to a lack of players created by a variety of injuries.
“Nonetheless, we are encouraged by the influx of young athletes joining our ranks,” Krautner said in the email. “Their enthusiasm and potential promise a bright future, and we are committed to developing their talents with the aim of returning to varsity competition (in 2026).”
The announcement sent Central’s 2025 opponents scrambling to fill out their schedules.
Essex was scheduled to face King and Queen on September 26. That will now be an open date with the Trojans hosting Brunswick on September 5.
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