Carrollton High School is searching for a new head football coach after Rodney Flowers announced his resignation after a stalled effort to create a co-op with another Greene County school.
According to The Alton Telegraph, Flowers stepped down after four seasons leading the Hawks, citing declining player numbers and safety concerns for student athletes. Flowers also made the announcement with a letter to the Carrollton School Board on March 10.
Flowers says participation in the program has continued to drop, making it difficult to safely field both junior varsity and varsity teams. Last season, Carrollton started with 29 players, but injuries and eligibility issues reduced that number to just 24 by the end of the Hawks’ playoff run.
Looking ahead to next season, projections show about 27 players in the program, a number Flowers says could drop to roughly 22 during the season.
Flowers says at times last year the JV squad dressed only a dozen players, forcing smaller or younger athletes into positions against larger opponents.
The resignation also comes as a proposed football cooperative between Carrollton and North Greene remains stalled at the administrative level. Flowers says public meetings in both communities showed strong support for the idea, which would combine the programs under a new identity. However, some word in the community says that there is still division on the issue.
Despite declining numbers, Carrollton has remained competitive, making the playoffs in 17 of the past 20 seasons. Flowers says he still hopes to coach again someday — possibly with a combined Greene County program if a co-op eventually moves forward.
Flowers went 22-20 during his four years as head coach, including three straight appearance in the Class 1A quarterfinals. Flowers also served as a long time assistant coach to his brother Nick Flowers during his tenure as head coach at the school.