3rd Coast football team in quarantine after players, coach test positive for COVID-19
Members of the Gulfport High School football team have been asked to quarantine for 14 days after two players and a coach tested positive for COVID-19, the athletic department announced on Tuesday.
“Gulfport High School is following CDC, Mississippi Department of Health, and Gulfport School District protocols with regard to contact tracing and the quarantining of these students,” Gulfport athletic director Bryan Caldwell said in a press release. “This is an effort to control the spread of COVID-19 in our school and community.”
Gulfport will have to forfeit this Friday’s game against West Harrison, but hopes to return to action on Oct. 16 against Harrison Central.
The Mississippi High School Activities Association rules require that teams forfeit region contests if they are unable to play due to the coronavirus.
Gulfport was scheduled to have homecoming celebrations this Friday, but those have been tentatively rescheduled for Oct. 23 vs. D’Iberville.
This marks the third time in the last week that a high school football team on the Mississippi Gulf Coast has been forced into quarantine — Long Beach on Friday and Hancock on Monday.
Hancock has asked their players to quarantine due to possible COVID-19 exposure and will not be able to play this Friday at St. Martin as planned. The game will count as a win for St. Martin.
Long Beach had to forfeit last week’s game against Gautier and this Friday’s contest against East Central.
Gulfport was scheduled to play St. Martin last week, but the Admirals chose to forfeit the game rather than play a team from the Jackson County School District. The Gulfport School District believes that JCSD does not meet their standards when it comes to COVID-19 protocols.
Gulfport (1-4, 0-1) instead scheduled a game at Brandon, where the Admirals lost 20-13 in overtime.
This story was originally published September 29, 2020 at 10:55 AM.
