Cooper City toured after pair of canceled practices

COOPER CITY — Broward County Public Schools Superintendent Robert Runcie toured Cooper City High School on Wednesday to observe the Cowboys during their first week of fall practice.

Runcie’s tour comes after two Broward County schools had to suspend practices for two programs due to two students testing positive for COVID-19.

Cypress Bay High canceled its cheerleading practices, and Western High canceled its junior varsity football practices due to students testing positive for COVID-19.

“We’ll evaluate those this week, go through the necessary protocols and we’ll make a determination and consult in consultation with our medical experts and everyone to figure out when we can restart those programs up again,” Runcie said

Runcie said that district students and staffmembers would have to quarantine if they tested positive and would need to test negative before being allowed back to school.

Runcie said Broward County winter sports would be delayed, with practices starting Oct. 26, but he said that the district would still participate in the FHSAA state series.

Spring sports are scheduled to start on time.

Broward County district football teams are scheduled to begin playing the last week of October. Some private schools, including American Heritage, Cardinal Gibbons and Chaminade-Madonna have already started their football seasons.

Broward County publicschool fall-sports teams have opted out of the Florida High School Athletic Association’s state series, meaning they will not competefor state titles this year.

Runcie said Broward County fall-sports teams would participate in a tri-county postseason tournament.

“We have some of the best high school athletes in the nation, and I believe that all of the folks and the collegiate scouts that are interested in recruiting good athletes, they’re going to come to our competitions,” Runcie said. “So we want to make sure that that opportunity is available for our students aswell.”