With the football season quickly approaching, Owensboro High School has suffered a setback as a member of the team has contracted COVID-19.
Head Coach Jay Fallin made the announcement via a letter, stating that the player who tested positive was in contact with other players during their recent film session on Monday.
That being said, the team has cancelled all activities for today and certain players will most likely have to take some time off.
“As a result, all unvaccinated individuals that were present during the film session will be required to self isolate (quarantine) at home through Wednesday, August 11,” according to the letter. “All vaccinated individuals will not be required to self isolate unless they begin to develop symptoms.”
Fallin plans to follow up with the team tomorrow, hoping to be able to let vaccinated players resume activities soon.
However, members of the team that were not exposed will be able to return to practice tomorrow morning.
“We’re going to stay in constant contact with the guys as we have been,” Fallin said. “I’ve communicated with them all day today and other position coaches and their coordinators are going to be meeting with them via zoom discussing things with them.”
For those players who are in quarantine, the strength coach for Owensboro has put together a workout regimen for them to stay in shape for the upcoming season while staying safe.
“I want to stress that it’s all exercise they can complete on their own,” Fallin said. “We want them to stay in isolation. So it’s just running around the neighborhood, or going out the park and running, or bodyweight exercises they can do at home so they can stay in shape so we can be ready to hit the ground running next Thursday.”
At this time, this will not affect Owensboro’s scheduled scrimmage on Aug. 13 or the scheduled game against Saint X. on Friday, Aug. 20.
The fact that COVID-19 is once again affecting Owensboro’s football season for the second year in a row was disheartening for the team, but they know they’ll have to take a strong stance in keeping players and coaches safe.
“We had hoped in May and June that we weren’t going to be dealing with this this season,” Fallin said. “But, it’s real and it’s here. We’re going to have to be just as vigilant as we were last year in guarding against this.”
This isn’t how the Red Devils imagined the season would begin, but Fallin and company are looking to face the challenge head on and return the gridiron next week barring any other unforeseen circumstances.
“We try to tell the guys all the time that we control what we control and we don’t allow that which we can’t control to frustrate us,” Fallin said. “This is a situation where no one has done anything wrong, it was just a situation that was beyond our control. So while it’s not ideal, we’re going to adapt, we’re going to overcome, we’re going to get through it with a positive attitude and we’re already looking forward to getting back to work next Thursday.”
