GA high school football team cancels season opener after players injured in bus crash

ROME, Ga. — The Rome High School football team will not play in its Corky Kell Dave Hunter Classic game on Friday.

The announcement came just days after a bus carrying Rome football players and coaches was involved in a crash. At least 15 people, including 12 minors, were injured in the crash.

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The team had just won a scrimmage against Rockmart High School and made it less than seven miles down the road when the wreck happened.

“They were all happy. They played a very good game,” School Resource Officer Sterling Haney said to Channel 2′s Courtney Francisco.

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Rome was scheduled to play its season opener this Friday. School officials said they want to take the necessary precautions to ensure the safety of all the football players.

“We obviously want to play the game if possible, but after the players were evaluated by physicians, we realized that it was not in their best interest to suit up and play on Friday. We hope everyone understands this measure, but the safety of our student-athletes comes first,” Rome High Football Coach John Reid said.

The football team’s next scheduled game is an away game at Carrollton on Friday, Aug. 30.

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Jeyonna Underwood, 21, is accused of driving drunk and crashing into the school bus.

Georgia State Patrol said she crossed the center line at Ga. 101 and Doc Moates Rd. and hit the bus just before 11 p.m. on Thursday.

She was arrested and booked into the Polk County Jail. She’s charged with DUI, failure to maintain lane and DUI- endangerment of a child under 14.

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