Bacon County’s football team canceled its Friday night game at Thomasville hours before kickoff because of ‘’serious threats on social media,’’ the Bacon County board of education announced on its Facebook page.
Bacon County superintendent Traci Martin released the statement around 3 p.m.
The message read in part: “The safety and well-being of our student-athletes, staff, and attendees are of utmost importance After careful consideration, we have decided it would be best not to put anyone in a potentially hostile situation. ...
“We understand that this decision may cause inconvenience and disappointment, but we believe that it is the responsible course of action given the circumstances. Please be assured that we are taking all necessary steps to address the situation and ensure the safety of our school community.”
The message did not specify the threats.
Canceling games for safety reasons is not extraordinary, but it is newsworthy in the wake of a deadly school shooting at Apalachee High in Barrow County that left four dead on Sept. 4. Two days later, Hart County canceled its game against Flowery Branch after three Hart County students made online threats to faculty and area schools. That game was played the following Monday after arrests were made.
Football games involving Butler and Cross Creek in 2023 and Statesboro and Jenkins in 2022 were canceled and not made up because of threats.
Thomasville’s school district has posted on its social media that the Bacon County game is a forfeit.
The game would have been the region opener for both teams. Thomasville is ranked No. 3 in Class A Division I while Bacon County is off to a 3-1 start, its best in four years.
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