ROWLAND — Athletics directors and coaches in the Three Rivers Conference are scrambling this week to figure out whether South Robeson High School will no longer exist.

The Mustangs athletics programs have competed in the 10-team league with East Bladen and West Bladen that includes both 2-A and 1-A schools. The Public Schools of Robeson County held a board meeting Tuesday in which plans to close the school, and four others, were approved to be effective with the 2019-20 school year.

Mike Smith, board chairman, told the Bladen Journal on Thursday morning that plan happens if all logistics can be worked out. With many variables, there is a chance the district could ask the school board to wait until 2020-21 for all or parts of the plan.

Travis Pait, the athletics director at West Bladen High School, said he had talked with the league president, David Smith, and there would be no changing of schedules in the league. Pait spoke from an understanding the school was being closed, but there was a chance it may not. Dates for schools playing South Robeson would simply become open dates, or be filled with other opponents as schools are able.

Pait said the new head football coach, Jon Sherman, was seeking to find a replacement game for the South Robeson date.

Patty Evers, athletics director at East Bladen, said she was unclear on what would happen at South Robeson.

https://www.bladenjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/web1_threerivers-2.jpg

Alan Wooten

Bladen Journal

Alan Wooten can be reached at 910-247-9132 or awooten@bladenjournal.com. Twitter: @alanwooten19.