Cavaliers forced to forfeit Friday game

Christ Church forfeited its scheduled matchup against undefeated Daniel due to a severely depleted roster caused by injuries and a recent transfer.

Daniel announces cancellation on social media

Daniel's athletic department announced the forfeit on X and said they tried to find another opponent, even reaching out to neighboring states.

“We're disappointed to share that our scheduled varsity football game this Friday at Christ Church will not be played, as our opponent has chosen to forfeit the game.”

Christ Church hasn't publicly explained forfeit

The school has not made an official statement about why they forfeited the game.

Star running back Michael Martin transfers out

Three-star junior Michael Martin II, who rushed for 1,425 yards and 30 touchdowns last season, transferred to Southside Christian.

Eight injuries depleted roster before game

Christ Church was down to 19 players due to eight injuries and Martin's transfer before four more players got hurt in last Friday's game.

Only 14 healthy players would have suited up

With the additional injuries from the previous game, Christ Church would have had just 14 players available, many already banged up.

“So, if you do the math, we would have been lining up for Friday night's game with only 14 players, many of whom were already banged up.”

Parent criticizes Daniel's announcement

Ryan Childers, father of a Christ Church player, said Daniel knew the circumstances but didn't acknowledge them in their public statement.

“It's a shame that Daniel, who knows full well the reason we had to pull out, didn't acknowledge why we chose to sit this week out.”

Player safety was the priority, Childers says

Childers emphasized that forfeiting was a last resort, but protecting players from injury was more important than playing the game.

“Again, the last thing we wanted to do was forfeit, but player safety comes first.”

Christ Church falls to zero and five

The forfeit gives Christ Church a winless record of zero wins and five losses to start the season.

Cavaliers were competitive in first four games

Christ Church lost its first four games on the field by close margins: 10-3 to Mauldin, 27-21 to St. Joseph's, 27-14 to St. Christopher's, and 28-14 to Hilton Head Island.

Program won back-to-back state titles in 2022-2023

Christ Church won consecutive Class 2A state championships in 2022 and 2023, going 27-3 under coach Quin Hatfield. The program has won seven state titles overall.

Daniel improves to five and zero with forfeit

Daniel's undefeated record improves to 5-0 with the forfeit. The Lions scored at least 42 points in each of their first four games.

Two-week break gives Cavaliers time to heal

Christ Church has nearly two weeks before facing Hampton County on September 25, giving injured players time to recover before region play begins.