KEENE, Texas — Keene High School canceled the rest of its varsity football season Tuesday and said it will not field a varsity team in 2027 after injuries reduced its roster to 15 healthy players.
Keene ISD Superintendent Ricky Stephens said the district made the decision to protect the safety and well-being of its student-athletes.
“Given our current roster size, continuing next fall would likely put us right back in this exact position,” Stephens wrote to district staff. “Making this call now allows surrounding districts time to adjust their schedules, while giving us the clarity we need to focus on rebuilding.”
The school will also end its junior varsity football program for the remainder of the current season, although its junior high team will continue playing.
Stephens said the district could not safely continue the varsity season with its current roster.
“At the end of the day, this choice comes down to protecting the safety and well-being of our student-athletes,” Stephens said. “Continuing to field a varsity team with our current numbers simply isn’t safe for our players.”
Keene, which has an enrollment of 368, went 1-4 overall and 0-1 in District 6-3A during its first season competing in the University Interscholastic League.
The Chargers played their final game Sept. 18, losing 38-12 to Italy during Keene’s homecoming weekend.
Keene plans to rebuild its football program outside the UIL system. Head coach Ethan Stepp told district opponents that the school will explore playing as an independent, or “outlaw,” program.
The decision has also forced several schools to adjust their schedules. Grandview is looking for an additional game in November, while Whitney rescheduled its homecoming game. West, Mexia and Groesbeck also have openings on their schedules.
Keene did not have a football program until 2021. The school played six-man football from 2021 through 2024 before moving to an 11-man independent schedule in 2025.
The Chargers went 6-2 during their first season playing 11-man football.
Keene is currently the largest Texas high school program to cancel its season because of injuries and low participation. Other schools, including Baird, Big Spring Pathway, Dallas Gateway, Grapeland and Morton, have also ended their seasons under similar circumstances.
Most of those schools compete in smaller classifications, including Class 1A and 2A.
