Madison Southern forced out of high school football playoffs by COVID-19
Madison Southern High School’s football team has been forced out of the state playoffs because of COVID-19, a statement posted on Madison County Schools’ official Twitter account confirmed Monday.
The Eagles season was “cut short due to positive tests among staff and players. Great season for a great group (of) student-athletes. Proud of their hard work and determination,” the tweet from @NewsMCS, posted at 3:44 p.m., said.
Madison Southern had been scheduled to travel to Covington Catholic for the regional championship round of the Kentucky High School Athletic Association’s Class 5A playoffs on Friday.
The Eagles won their district crown Friday night in a thrilling 23-21 come-from-behind victory over Woodford County that included an onside kick recovery and a go-ahead, 40-yard field goal in the closing moments. The Eagles finished their season with a 6-3 record under Coach Jon Clark.
Madison Southern becomes the first team to bow out of the quarterfinals round of the state playoffs due to COVID-19 and the 27th team overall.
Just hours before they were set to kick off last Friday, Bishop Brossart became the third team that had to withdraw from the playoff’s second round. Lawrence County and Henderson County were the other two.
The KHSAA has remained committed to the continuation of its postseason despite the escalating cases of COVID-19 and the “red” status of nearly every county in the commonwealth on the state’s COVID-19 incidence rate map.
Last week, West Virginia abruptly canceled its football postseason and declared champions in each of its classes amid rising cases and concerns.
Across Kentucky’s six football classes, there are 23 kickoffs scheduled Friday with the state semifinals and finals still to come in the next three weeks.
Beginning in the state semifinals round, the KHSAA has said that any COVID-19-forced withdrawals would result in a losing team being offered the playoff spot if they are able to avoid the virus themselves.
That is not the case this week for Madison Southern’s bid. Covington Catholic, the defending Class 5A state champion, will automatically advance to the semifinals.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 4:54 PM.
