Iowa high school football coach resigns in effort to cancel season

A growing trend of high school football teams canceling games — and even entire seasons — has popped up across the country, and Iowa is the latest state affected.

According to KRCG-9, Highland head football coach Cory Quail has resigned from his position in hopes that it will force the school’s hand to cancel the team’s season and forfeit the rest of its games. Highland has already announced this week that its next two games were canceled due to player safety issues, and Quail would like to see that extend to the whole season.

“I tendered my resignation with hope that it would force the decision to not play another football game this season for player protection,” Quail wrote on Facebook announcing his decision. “Participation numbers are low and injuries have accrued. It was not safe to be out on that field last Friday night and anyone who saw us trying to put receivers in lineman jerseys would agree. That scenario will not change over the course of this year. I will not put our kids in an unsafe place to selfishly build ego for competition.”

According to the report, Highland’s squad is down to just 13 healthy players after a spate of injuries and was suiting up players to play on both sides of the ball in last week’s 40-7 loss to Wapello.

Highland superintendent Spencer Lueders told KRCG that the district will now use the next two weeks to determine the rest of the season. That includes cancelling the season or possibly having Highland players join another district’s team. The district hopes to make a decision sometime next week.

Quail will continue to serve as the school’s physical education teacher.

“To say that I’ve quit on our kids would be wildly inaccurate,” he added in his post. “We are not going to let this one unfortunate situation define Highland. We will continue to show up and do work for the betterment of our kids.”

How to Follow Iowa High School Football

For Iowa high school football fans looking to keep up with scores around the state, staying updated on the action is now easier than ever with the Rivals High School Scoreboard. This comprehensive resource provides real-time updates and final scores from across Iowa, ensuring you never miss a moment of the Friday night frenzy. From nail-biting finishes to dominant performances, the Rivals High School Scoreboard is your one-stop destination for tracking all the gridiron excitement across the Hawkeye State.