Virus concerns nix OCP-Foundation
Concerns about COVID-19 contact tracing at Foundation Academy’s Tilden Campus has shuttered athletic activities at the Winter Garden school this week.
Friday ’s football matchup of unbeatens pitting the Lions (3-0) at home against Orlando Christian Prep (2-0) has been canceled.
OCP will instead travel to play at Mount Dora High (0-0) Friday at 7 p.m.
Mount Dora athletic director Bill Larkin said his school also had a vacancy to fill after its original season-opening opponent, Hawthorne, canceled due to a positive COVID-19 test within its school.
Foundation hopes to add a game against an oppo
nent to be determined near the end of its regular season schedule on Oct. 23.
No COVID-19 cases have been found within the Foundation football team.
“This was just [a concern] with the general stu
dent population, which includes everybody, so we made a choice to take a precautionary measure,” Foundation president Dave Buckles said. “As we all continue to learn more about this virus, especially in a school setting, erring on the side of caution for one week is minor.”
Buckles said extracurricular activities at the school will resume Saturday.
Evans at Jones and Boone at West Orange football games previously were canceled due to COVID-19 cases.
Orange County school board member Barbara Gould on Saturday expressed hope that the West Orange game could be permitted despite the campus being closed. But as of Tuesday evening, no announcement clearing the team to play had been made by Orange County Public Schools.