West Caldwell canceled its varsity high school football season in North Carolina. The Warriors do not have enough upperclassmen to safely field a full team in 2026.
It will only compete on the junior varsity level this fall.
Unfortunately, the decision comes less than one month before the start of the high school football season. All of West Caldwell’s scheduled opponents will be out one of their games.
Where in North Carolina is West Caldwell?
Established in 1977, West Caldwell High School is located in Lenoir, North Carolina. Lenoir, a furniture manufacturing hub, is known as the place “where the High Country begins” in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains in lower Appalachia. Its main public high school enrolls approximately 700 students in Grades 9-12. They are known as the Warriors.
West Caldwell is classified as a Class 3A school. It is part of the Western Piedmont conference and competes in Baseball, Basketball, Cheerleading, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Track and Field, Volleyball and Wrestling.
The football program has not been good in about a decade. The Warriors lost every game in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 at a combined 0-39. They finished 2-8 overall with a conference record of 1-6 in 2025. Their two victories were a big deal.
Unfortunately, they will not get the opportunity to continue the positive momentum.
The Warriors will not play high school football on the varsity level in 2026.
West Caldwell High School recently announced that it will not play varsity football this fall. The school said that it does not have enough upperclassmen players to safely field a varsity team, only junior varsity.
“We cannot send young players into games against fully grown athletes when we know it isn’t safe for them. Their health and well-being come first — even when the answer is hard. It isn’t the plan any of us hoped for, but it is the plan that’s best for our student athletes.”
The Warriors graduated 14 of their 30 players from last season’s team. Administrators did not think it was a smart decision to move underclassmen up to the varsity team when they are not yet ready. It was a collaborative decision made by the district, the school and its athletic department. Members of the community, who supposedly asked them to protect the players and consider the long-term goals of the program, also played a role in the outcome.
As a result, however many remaining upperclassmen will not be able to play varsity football in 2026. I do not know whether or not they are allowed to compete on the junior varsity level or if they will be required to sit out the entire season or presented with the opportunity to play this fall at another school.
Either way, first-year head coach George Saffos was hired to replace Tony Pyland in April. The former assistant at Pine Forest, West Iredell and Alexander Central will have to wait more than 365 days to make his head coaching debut at West Caldwell.