​Another Texas high school football team had to cancel the rest of their season due to injuries.  (Winslow Productions/Tetra Images/Getty Images/Tetra images RF)
While most of Texas continues to celebrate the state’s pastime, a worrying trend is chipping away at the game so many love. On Wednesday, Meridian head football coach and athletic director Jim Kerbow announced the cancellation of the rest of the Meridian Yellow Jackets’ football season.”It is with a heavy heart that we announce the cancellation of the remainder of our high school football season due to injuries that have impacted our team and our ability to safely continue competition,” Kerbow said in a statement on Meridian ISD’s website. “This was an extremely difficult decision and one that was not made lightly. The safety and well-being of our student-athletes must always come first. After careful consideration, we believe this is the best decision for our players and our program.”The Yellow Jackets, which compete in Class 2A-2 Region II District 8, suspended their season with a 1-7 record and just two games remaining against Santo and Mart. Both games will be counted as forfeited losses for Meridian, which is located approximately 70 miles south of Fort Worth.  “We understand the disappointment that our players, coaches, parents, alumni, and community members will feel,” Kerbow said. “Our athletes have put in countless hours of hard work, dedication, and commitment, and we are proud of the effort they have given to Meridian football. We want to thank our players for their perseverance, our coaches for their dedication, our parents for their support, and our community for standing behind our Yellow Jackets.”How did this happen?Mounting injuries began to take their toll on the Yellow Jackets, who were outscored 96-0 in their previous two games against Crawford and Frost. In September, Meridian ISD shuttered its junior high football program due to “low numbers.”Meridian joins a growing list of schools including Austin LASA, Keene, Baird, Dallas Gateway, Grapeland, Mort, Hull-Daisetta and Big Spring Pathway that have forfeited multiple games or canceled their season because of injuries or low participation. Participation in tackle football has declined nationwide in recent years, with children aged 13-17’s participation down 2.9 percent over the six-year period from 2019 to 2025, according to analysis from The Aspen Institute’s Project Play. For children aged 6-12, participation is down 6.9 percent.In particular, low-income children are being left behind as youth sports costs rise. According to The Aspen Institute, sports participation dropped 7 percent among children ages 6-12 living in households earning $25,000 or less. By comparison, every other income bracket grew by 2 to 7 percent.Aspen’s insights also note that many youth sports coaches say they’ve received less annual training in areas such as CPR/basic first aid (down 40.8 percent in 2025), concussion management (down