Franklin High School announced Monday that its home football game against Swain County on Sept. 4 has been canceled.
Franklin football coach Josh Brooks told the Citizen Times that Swain County has forfeited the game.
The Panthers opened the 2026 season with commanding victories over Smoky Mountain Conference opponents Murphy and Robbinsville. Franklin defeated Murphy 42-7 in Week 1 before beating Robbinsville 31-7.
"I hate it for our kids," Brooks said. "I feel like we're playing football right now. You're always looking to improve. Besides getting healthy, you're just not gonna get a lot better unless you're playing."
Swain County is 0-2 to start the season after losses to Smoky Mountain and Pisgah. The Maroon Devils suffered a 42-6 loss in Week 1 against Smoky Mountain and then a 42-12 loss against Pisgah on Aug. 28.
Franklin will return to action on Sept. 11 when they travel to take on East Henderson. Swain County's next scheduled game is at Mountain Heritage in Week 4.
Zachary Huber is a high school sports reporter for the Hendersonville Times-News. Email him at zhuber@gannett.com or follow him on X @zacharyahuber.
This story will be updated.
This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Swain County vs Franklin football game scheduled for Sept. 4 canceled
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