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For the second time in four seasons, a Mountain Foothills 7 Conference school will not field a varsity football team.

Due to low participation numbers, Patton has decided to only field a junior varsity team in 2024. That echoes the choice that East Rutherford made in 2021 in the first season of the MF7.

Patton hired Billy Whisenant earlier this year as the school’s third head coach in the past three seasons. The Panthers have won just four games in the past four seasons and finished 0-10 in 2023.

Polk County was scheduled to host Patton on Sept. 20. Head coach Dustin Fry said the school is looking for a non-conference opponent to replace Patton either on that date or on the school’s current open date on Oct. 11.

Big Red Sports Network, which covers sports in Burke County, shared an email from Patton Principal Gretchen Reiss announcing the decision.