8 Osceola players exposed to virus at workout
Osceola has suspended football workouts this week after several players were exposed to a person with covid-19, the school’s superintendent told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Tuesday.
The person, who was not named by Osceola Superintendent Alfred Hogan, is not employed by the school district. He came into contact with eight players at a workout on the school’s campus Thursday. The Seminoles’ workouts are divided into four groups of at least eight players, Hogan said. Osceola has had 32 players participate in their workouts this summer.
Hogan said the players were being tested for covid-19. The person who has covid-19 is quarantining.
“We want to look out for the welfare of our athletes and coaches,” Hogan said.
Osceola announced Sunday on its Facebook school district page that football workouts had been canceled indefinitely, but Hogan met with other administrators, including Athletic Director Russell Leggett on Monday and determined that workouts can resume July 28.
Hogan said football is the only sport at the Mississippi County school that will not have workouts this week.
Osceola last worked out Thursday, Hogan said. The person was at that workout, then told Osceola administrators Sunday he had tested positive for covid-19.
Osceola is the ninth known school in the state to have shut down varsity workouts in football because of a positive covid-19 case or exposure to the virus.
Clarksville had two football players test positive, while Little Rock Central, Jonesboro and Atkins each had one case from a football player, with Atkins’ case coming in its junior-high program. Little Rock Catholic has had three athletes test positive for covid-19. Lake Hamilton and Mountain Pine each had an athlete with a positive case. Carlisle shut down its program temporarily twice after having a football player exposed to the virus, but he later tested negative. Also, Carlisle had a multisport athlete (basketball and softball) become exposed to the virus along with her sister, who is in the school’s band. The two sisters from Carlisle later tested negative.
Catholic, Lake Hamilton and Mountain Pine did not announce the sport of the affected athletes, citing privacy laws.
Hogan said Osceola will continue following the Arkansas Department of Health guidelines, which includes daily temperature checks via digital thermometers, health screening questions and sanitizing equipment.
“We’ve had our maintenance crew working on it daily,” Hogan said. “We’re following them [the guidelines] the best that we can.”
Osceola is led by first-year Coach Jamie Carter, who was hired in June after spending two seasons as the Marion defensive coordinator. Carter took over for Robert Hooks, who was at Osceola for three seasons before taking over for Billy Elmore as the West Memphis head coach.
The Seminoles are 36-7 over the past three seasons, with two appearances in the Class 3A state championship game and three consecutive trips to the Class 3A semifinals.