Dim hopes
- Updated: September 22, 2023
Reyes: Playing Anniston-White Plains football game Nov. 3 among options discussed, but ‘not an option at this point.’
By Joe Medley
East Alabama Sports Today
The door to playing Anniston’s Class 4A, Region 4 game with White Plains on Nov. 3 remains ever so slightly cracked open, but Calhoun County Schools superintendent Jose Reyes doesn’t sound hopeful.
The Nov. 3 option was one of “several” discussed before Reyes’ announcement today that White Plains would not play the game tonight at Anniston. The decision comes in the wake of a Tuesday night shooting involving Anniston students, an incident that prompted Anniston City Schools to cancel its homecoming parade.
“Due to events beyond our control earlier this week, it is the decision of the Office of the Superintendent of the Calhoun County School System to forgo the football contest between White Plains High School and Anniston High School on Friday, September 22, 2023,” read an announcement posted to the Calhoun County Schools Facebook page on Friday. “We look forward to the opportunity to discuss holding the contest at a later date during the 2023 season.”
The game is a region contest. Not playing the game would count as a White Plains forfeit, according to Alabama High School Athletic Association rules, and would make White Plains ineligible for the playoffs.
The Wildcats’ (0-3) have made the playoffs once in their history, in 1994, and were considered a long shot at best to make the playoffs in a region that includes Handley, Jacksonville, Anniston, Munford, Cleburne County and Talladega.
Handley beat White Plains 41-0 in last week’s region opener for White Plains.
That potential date to play the Anniston-White Plains game at Anniston would be Nov. 3, when Anniston has an open date and White Plains is scheduled to play a non-region home game against Westbrook Christian.
Other options were discussed in communications between Reyes and Anniston City Schools, Reyes said, including playing the game tonight without fans or playing Saturday, at 11 a.m.
“We could not come to an agreement,” Reyes said. “We certainly respect Anniston City Schools’ decision. All we can do is options, and Anniston City has their option to either try a different time or not.
“We tried to run through some options, and we could not come to an agreement.”
Reyes expressed dim hopes for the option to play the game at a later date.
“I had hoped, earlier in the day, that would be an option,” Reyes said. “My fear, at this point, is that that is not an option at this point.”
Attempts to reach Anniston City Schools superintendent Dr. D. Ray Hill were not immediately answered. This story will be updated.
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