This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

A localized Twitter hashtag dubbed #LetTVillePlay started gaining steam Thursday afternoon as football players and students at Taylorsville High School were lobbying for Friday night's season opener at home against Kearns to be played as scheduled.

The caveat, as Granite School District spokesman Ben Horsley explained, is the reality that roughly half the team's players have yet to pay the mandatory $95 waiver fee required to play a full season of football with the Warriors program.

"They submit a fee waiver and all of their football fees are paid for," Horsley said. "It's a $95 participation fee. These are part of school budgets. We can't pay for equipment without it. These kinds of things just can't be subsidized. The school needs that money."

While Horsley said Friday night's game against Kearns isn't in question, next week's game at Murray could be in jeopardy if these players who have yet to pay the mandatory fee don't submit their $95 waiver.

Horsley said Taylorsville principal Dr. Garett Muse held a meeting with the program today and told the players they had extended a brief window to pay the amount needed to play.

"I can tell you next week if it's not paid, they're not going to play," Horsley said. "The principal went in today and said, 'Get your fees paid by next week. We're not going to hold it over your head this week, but we have to get it paid by next week.'"

Horsley said it's his understanding that Taylorsville coach Rod Wells and the coaching staff have been harping on their players during the last six weeks to make the payment.

"I know for a fact they've been warned for over a month," Horsley said. "As soon as the tryouts are over, if you want to play in the first game, you've got to pay their participation fee. Roughly half the team hasn't paid or submitted their waiver fee, and we have a game tomorrow night."

Horsley said Muse and other football staffers have told the players they don't want to be put in the precarious position of having to forfeit an early season game, but they would have to approach that decision if the fees not be paid in full before the Aug. 30 game at Murray.

"If they haven't paid their yearbook fees yet, they can still play," Horsley said, "but this isn't a lab fee or a yearbook fee. This is a football fee."

-Chris Kamrani

Twitter: @chriskamrani —