Coronavirus: Fairborn HS football team quarantining players

FHS athletics director Kevin Alexander told the Dayton Daily News on Tuesday the team had been cleared by the health department after the West Carrollton positive came to light, but more information later became available according to the school’s public relations representative.

“I think we got additional information from the health department and that was the impetus to start down this process of checking the footage to see how many players were in direct contact with their player,” Pam Gayheart said Wednesday. “We got additional information.”

Greene County Public Health public information officer Laurie Fox confirmed the department was working with the school to determine who should be quarantined for 14 days, per CDC guidelines and an order from the Ohio Department of Health signed by Ohio Gov. Mike Dewine last month allowing contact sports to go forward this fall.

The Skyhawks beat the Pirates 45-32 to start the season 2-0 and were preparing for a game at 2-0 Tippecanoe on Friday night.

That game and one against Sidney in Week 4 will be rescheduled.

The players are to quarantine until Sept. 18 according to FHS.

Sidney was to play West Carrollton this week but replaced the Pirates with New Richmond.

Xenia was to play West Carrollton next week, but for now the Buccaneers and Yellow Jackets are scheduled to play in back-to-back weeks instead — at Xenia on Sept. 18 and at Sidney on Sept. 25 in a game that was already scheduled.

XHS athletics director Nathan Kopp said that could change depending on what other opponents become available in the coming weeks, but the school officials wanted to make sure they provide as many playing opportunities as possible.

“If something else opens up and is a fit for us and Sidney not to play in back-to-back weeks, we’ll look at that, but for the kids right now I think we feel like the first two weeks have been scrimmages so now everyone has a better understanding of who they are and what they are," Kopp said. "Hopefully we can get in as close to as 10 games as possible.”

The regular season has been shortened to six games at the request of the state, a move designed to allow time for a full playoff to be conducted in each division before a possible resurgence of the coronavirus in late November or December.

Every team is eligible for the playoffs, which are set to begin Oct. 9 and conclude no later than Nov. 21. Teams are able to opt out of the playoffs, and any team that does not participate or gets knocked out before the end of the tournament is allowed to play more games even as the playoffs go on.

West Carrollton communications assistant Janine Corbett confirmed Tuesday a football player had tested positive, and director of athletics Evan Ivory said the player had not contracted the virus at school.

West Carrollton is holding all classes online while Fairborn began with a hybrid model this week that has some students attending in person and others online.

The Pirates intend to make up the games with Sidney and Xenia later in the season with Week 9 slated to be the visit from the Buccs.