Tates Creek’s football season ended prematurely as result of COVID-19 tracing
Tates Creek’s football season has ended one week from the start of the postseason after its opponent from last week reported some of its players have since tested positive for COVID-19.
Tates Creek Coach Jonathan Smith confirmed the shutdown to the Herald-Leader on Friday afternoon and said he tried to reach each of his players personally by phone with the unfortunate news.
It’s an unfortunate thing. It stinks,” Smith said. “We wouldn’t come off quarantine until the 13th and that’s the day of the district, and you can’t really play a game without even practicing. ...
“It’s just the strangest season I’ve ever coached in.”
Tates Creek has not had a player test positive all season but was unable to play a game as the result of contact tracing involving an opponent for the second time.
Tates Creek’s matchup against Pulaski County had already generated controversy over a Tates Creek parent’s allegations of racist insults made during the game by Pulaski players, which prompted an immediate apology from Pulaski school officials and an investigation.
The Commodores become the latest team to have their season shut down short of the playoffs. So far, there are reports of at least six other teams who have shuttered due to COVID-19 problems, including Calloway County, Garrard County, Paris, Nelson County, Bath County and Greenup County.
Coming off its best season in nearly two decades in which it won district and region titles and earned a trip to the Class 6A semifinals, Tates Creek (0-5) struggled with a young team this season.
Tates Creek was scheduled to play Henry Clay on Friday and would have probably faced city rival Paul Laurence Dunbar in the opening round of the KHSAA state playoffs next week.
“This is just one of those years that you don’t ever want to have again,” Smith said.
Pulaski County is under a team quarantine. Its game at Harlan County scheduled for Friday night was canceled.
According to the Commonwealth Journal of Somerset, Pulaski County (7-1) and its opening-round playoff opponent next week, North Laurel, might have to work out an alternate date for their game.
