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July 11th, 2014 5:00 pm by Jeff Bobo

ROGERSVILLE After weeks of planning, with organizers doing everything the Board of Education asked them to do, this year's Hawkins County alumni football game was nearly derailed Thursday night by a board member who expressed concerns about players getting hurt or killed.

The third annual game, which pits former Cherokee High School players versus Volunteer High School alumni, serves as a fundraiser for both schools.

Thursday evening the BOE voted 4-3 in favor of this year's game which will be played at Cherokee on Sept. 20.

The schools will split the gate receipts with Alumni Football USA, which organizes the game and provides uniforms and equipment for $100 per player. There will be no pre-game ticket sales this year, and all concession sales will go to the school.

All players will have signed a waiver releasing the school system and Alumni football USA from any liability, and BOE chairman Randy Collier strongly urged organizers to make sure all players have heath insurance.

There were a couple of injuries last year in which players unsuccessfully sought assistance for medical bills from the school system.

As the board was preparing to take its vote, board member Bob Larkins interjected some concerns about the game, and whether it is something the BOE should be involved in.

"I know a lot of work has been done on this in the past several weeks and months, but my particular concern is, the mission of the school board has little or nothing to do with alumni football," Larkins said. "We're here to educate and graduate, to focus on academics, and not be fundraisers. I think this has tremendous potential for something to go afoul."

Continued here:
Alumni football game OK'd despite BOE member concerns about player injury, death