Keene ISD cancels 2026 football season due to lack of healthy players

KEENE, Texas - A school district in Johnson County has canceled the rest of its 2026 season after just four games, citing a rash of injuries that has left its roster with too few players to safely play.

Keene ISD cancels 2026, 2027 football seasons

What we know:

Keene ISD, a school district in Johnson County, says it has canceled the remainder of its 2026 football season due to a high number of injuries and a shortage of healthy players.

The district has also preemptively canceled its 2027 season, citing similar roster concerns.

2026 was supposed to be the school district's first year in a UIL district for the 3A Keene Chargers. The school began its football program in 2022, and started playing 11-man football last year.

Keene has played four games in 2026 and has a 1-3 record.

What they're saying:

Dr. Ricky Stephens, the Keene ISD Superintendent, tells FOX 4 the team only has around 15 to 16 healthy players. The number of injuries on the team made playing impossible.

"No competitive athlete wants to admit defeat, especially not football coaches," Stephens said.

Players who spoke to FOX 4 said they understand why their season was canceled, but that it still stings not being able to play the game they love.

"It's just going to be different that we don't get to play district," Ian Fisher, a junior offensive lineman on the team, said. "We were really looking forward to that."

What's next:

Though the district has canceled this season and next season, Stephens says they are trying to schedule games against junior varsity or small private schools for its healthy varsity players.

"We've already got two games scheduled, and we're trying to schedule three more against big school JVs or small private schools," Stephens said.

"We are still going to put our best, play our best, and try and satisfy everybody," Fisher said.

Johnson CountyHigh School SportsSports