MARLIN, Texas — Football fans in Marlin will have to wait for those Friday night lights after the school district says all extracurricular activities are canceled due to poor academic performance.
“Academic excellence is the priority of our district," Marlin Head Football Coach Ruben Torres III said in a statement. "We have set a high standard that all of us will be held too. Accountability in all departments will be upheld.”
The Bulldogs were scheduled to play the Itasca Wampus Cats on Friday at Patton Field.
Torres said he personally called Itasca's head football coach on Monday to forfeit the game.
Marlin ISD made national headlines the previous school year for poor academic performance in which an overwhelming majority of the student population failed to meet graduation requirements, extending the school year four weeks into the summer.
Some graduating seniors and their parents were at odds with the district's superintendent, Dr. Darryl Henson, over what they say were unclear standards and bureaucratic red tape.
Henson pushed back at those claims telling 25 News it was "graduation delayed, but not denied."
The superintendent said the decision to cancel extracurricular activities, including Friday's varsity football game, comes down to new expectations for academic excellence.
"Now in Marlin we have a golden standard," Henson told 25 News. "And the performance is not poor."
He added the move to forfeit the game against Itasca was not made on his own, but rather it came after a larger discussion among district leaders and department heads.
"We want them to know they are partners in our academic journeys," Henson said.
Henson said the September 1 game against Mart is still scheduled but didn't give further details about when district officials would decide on another possible forfeit.
Marlin ISD gave the following statement to 25 News on the decision to forfeit Friday's game against Itasca High School:
"At Marlin ISD, our primary commitment remains to academic excellence and the holistic success of our students. Every decision we make underscores our dedication to ensuring our students are prepared for the future. We firmly believe in treating our students as partners in their academic journeys, valuing their dedication and efforts toward shared goals of success."
