After contact tracing Wildcats cancel game
Jefferson County has endured its first cancellation of a high school football game directly linked to the impact of the coronavirus pandemic.
Several players within the Watson Chapel program have quarantined as a result of contact tracing, meaning the Wildcats don’t have enough players at some positions to play Friday night at Hot Springs Lakeside (0-2), Wildcats Coach Jared Dutton confirmed Wednesday. Dutton said he was unsure exactly how many players have either quarantined or tested positive for coronavirus.
“We are still practicing with who we have to get better and get ready for next week’s game,” Dutton said. “We will get everyone back first of next week if nothing else pops up.”
The Wildcats (0-1), who had an open week after a 46-28 loss at Pine Bluff High School on Aug. 27, are scheduled to host Camden Fairview for a 7 p.m. kickoff Sept. 17 in their final nonconference game of the season.
The cancellation with Lakeside leaves the Wildcats with seven remaining games and three open dates in the season, the last being Oct. 8. That bye week was creat
ed after Little Rock Hall, which was classified in the 5A-Central with Watson Chapel, elected to field an eight-man team.
The first 5A-Central game for Watson Chapel is slated for Sept. 24 at Pulaski Academy.
Only two Jefferson County teams are still set to play Friday night: Dollarway (1-0) will visit Texarkana (0-1-1), and White Hall (2-0) will take on Little Rock Parkview (1-0) at War Memorial Stadium.
Pine Bluff (1-0), which will host Parkview on Sept. 17, has an open date already scheduled this week. The Zebras’ Sept. 3 game against Dollarway was called off one day before they hosted Watson Chapel, as Pine Bluff School District officials said they did not want to “risk covid-19 exposure” between the programs, neither of which indicated a covid-19 outbreak.
Dollarway hosted Helena-West Helena Central on Aug. 27 and won 2612. White Hall has beaten Sheridan 41-0 and Warren 35-0, both at home.