‘Frustrating.’ At least 5 KY high school football games canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

COVID-19 has led to the cancellation of at least five high school football games scheduled for Friday night, including the Frankfort at Woodford County High School game and Lexington’s Henry Clay High School against Central Hardin High School.

A Facebook post Tuesday from Hardin County Schools and Central Hardin High School said that a member of the school’s football team has tested positive for COVID-19.

After working with the Lincoln Trail District Health Department, the district announced there would be no practice or games for the next two weeks, effective Sept. 21. It’s the protocol used when there is known possible exposure to COVID 19.

“The best preventive measure for the athletes, coaches, classmates and colleagues is that all players and coaches be placed in quarantine,” Hardin Superintendent Teresa Morgan said. “We know this is very frustrating for the players and coaches who have worked incredibly hard to follow all the guidelines and have done a phenomenal job. COVID-19 has a way disrupting all aspects of life and sports are no exception.”

Staff at Central Hardin High School also contacted officials at Henry Clay High School in Lexington and Butler Traditional High School in Louisville. They are Central Hardin’s scheduled opponents, respectively, for the next two Friday nights.

Later Tuesday, Henry Clay reached an agreement to host Pikeville’s football team this Friday instead. The Class A (small school) Panthers and Class 6A Blue Devils have only met on the gridiron five times, the last coming in 2006. Henry Clay is 3-2 in those games.

Franklin County Schools officials said in a post that due to confirmed COVID-19 cases, and following a recommendation from the Franklin County Health Department, both boys and girls football and soccer at Franklin County High School are suspended for the next 14 days.

On Tuesday, Woodford Superintendent Scott Hawkins told the Herald-Leader that Woodford County High School played Franklin County last Friday night and was made aware of a positive COVID case of a player on Saturday morning.

All of the kids who played at that game have been quarantined, Hawkins said.

As a result, the Frankfort High School against Woodford County game was canceled for this Friday, Sept. 25, Hawkins said. Frankfort High School is in the Frankfort Independent School District.

Hawkins said that he has one confirmed positive case involving a Woodford football player.

“All football activities will be suspended for 14 days,” he said. Hawkins said the school district will follow the health department’s guidance.

The Garrard County against Jackson County game was also canceled for this Friday. Jackson County School officials posted that as of Sept. 17, 2020, Jackson County’s rate of COVID-19 incidence was at the red level according to the new statewide color-coded metric.

“If our county remains at this level, we could only offer remote or virtual learning only; we are very hopeful and optimistic that the rate will decrease to an acceptable level on the metric, so that we can return to traditional in-person instruction, as one of our learning options,” the post said.

The Rockcastle County against Estill County game was canceled for this Friday.

Last Friday, Estill County Schools posted that due to the county’s high COVID-19 numbers, the Estill County School District has suspended all athletics (contests, and practice) for a minimum of one week. Using the guidelines set forth in the COVID-19 Mode of Instruction Metrics for K-12 Education in Kentucky, the Estill County Board of Education voted to delay in person instruction until October 19th due to Estill County’s current COVID-19 incidence rate.

The Pineville vs. Western Hills game was also canceled. And late Tuesday afternoon, BluegrassSportsNation.com reported the Knott County Central game at Breathitt County game would be postponed due to Knott being at the red level.

As athletic activities and in-person school reopenings around Kentucky have been attempted in the last several weeks, positive COVID cases have led to some closings.

According to the Kentucky School Boards of Education, 53 of Kentucky’s 171 districts will return to in-person classes before Gov. Beshear’s recommendation of Sept. 28.

Bourbon County Education Association President Tricia Weiderman said she is concerned about students beginning in-person learning September 28. An estimated 25 of about 50 high school teachers won’t be able to return to in-personal leaning for medical reasons.

Officials are anticipating 60-70 percent of elementary and middle school students will return in-person and 30-40 percent of high school.

This story was originally published September 22, 2020 at 11:26 AM.