The abbreviated fall sports season at Mathews High School began this week, but without its most prominent sport.Last Wednesday afternoon, in an email to administrators in other schools in the region, MHS Athletic Director Al Thomas informed them that that there will be no varsity football program at the school this year.

“Apologize for the late notice,” Thomas wrote. “We did try to cobble together a varsity team this year but were unable to do so, thus … Mathews is canceling its varsity football season. We will continue with the JV team.”

On Monday, Thomas confirmed that the season had been canceled due to lack of participation at the varsity level. In the weeks leading up to this decision, assistant AD Al DeWitt had been asking on social media for more Mathews students to come out for the football team.

During personnel actions at the end of its Feb. 16 meeting, the Mathews County School Board approved the resignation of varsity head football coach C.J. Kelly and had appoint...