Station Camp’s first televised football game won’t happen after all because of the Sumner County Schools’ budget crisis.
With the uncertainty regarding the start of school, WUXP-30 has canceled its plans to air the Hendersonville vs. Station Camp game for its opening Thursday Night Lights telecast next week. Instead, the station will show the Overton vs. Father Ryan game next Friday night.
“We had logistical commercial concerns,” WUXP-30 general manager Dominic Mancuso said. “We held out as long as we could. We really should have made the call on Wednesday, but because they said they were having (a special school board meeting) Thursday, we said we’d wait until Friday, hoping they’d come to an agreement. That did not happen.”
Station Camp coach Shaun Hollinsworth said with television no longer an option, the game will likely be moved to Friday.
“It’s something (Hendersonville Coach Bruce) Hatfield and I had discussed before,” Hollinsworth said. “If we’re not playing on TV, there’s not much sense in playing on Thursday.”
Hollinsworth said he expects the budget situation to be resolved in time for the game to take place next week.
“I’m confident the school board wants to get us back in school, that all the parties involved want to see us all back in school and are going to do what it takes to get us back in this week.”
The school board will not permit any athletic contests until school opens. The first day of school was supposed to be Aug. 6.
“We’ve never had a situation where a week out we’ve had to change a game,” Mancuso said. “You feel bad for the kids, the students involved. But I think all the adults in charge knew this was a possibility.
“We’re grateful we were able to find another game we could on short notice. (Athletics Director) Pat Lawson and the folks at Father Ryan have been great.”
WUXP-30 THURSDAY NIGHT LIGHTS SCHEDULE
All games 7 p.m.
Aug. 17: Overton at Father Ryan
Aug. 23: Dickson Co. at Columbia
Aug. 30: Brentwood at Independence
Sept. 6: Pearl-Cohn at BGA
Sept. 13: Blackman at Oakland
Sept. 20: Lipscomb Acad. at Goodpasture
Sept. 27: Henry Co. at Northeast
Oct. 4: Maplewood at CPA
Oct. 12: Ravenwood at Centennial
Oct. 18: Page at Marshall Co.
Oct. 25: Mt. Juliet at Wilson Central