The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Avon receives bye in D-II
North Olmsted has positive COVID-19 test; Avon looking to host Perrysburg on Oct. 16
Avon’s Division II, Region 6 playoff game scheduled for Oct. 16 against North Olmsted will not be played.
North Olmsted City Schools Superintendent Dr. Michael E. Zalar wrote a letter addressed to North Olmsted families. In the letter, Zalar stated, in part:
“North Olmsted City Schools is committed to the safety and health of our students and staff. We want to inform you that we have been notified that one member of the high school football team has tested positive for COVID-19. The district immediately contacted the Cuyahoga County Health Department, and began contact tracing protocols. This student is in isolation for 10 days.
“Through contact tracing and guidance from the Cuyahoga County Board of Health it was determined that nine additional students and two staff members were exposed. Please note, exposure is defined as being in close contact with an individual for a significant period of time. These nine students and two staff members are in quarantine for 14 days.”
The letter continued, “Because football is a contact sport, and the number of individuals that have been exposed is significant, the district has made the difficult decision to cancel the remaining practices and games for the high school football team.
“We know this decision comes as a disappointment to many, however, the district did not feel that it was safe to continue on with the season given the level of exposure that has occurred. As a district we will continue to make decisions that keep our school community safe.”
It is unfortunate news for North Olmsted, which is coming off of its first playoff win in program history. The Eagles defeated Midview, 48-45, on Oct. 9.
“Awful day for our team,” North Olmsted coach Tim Brediger said in a text message to The Morning Journal. “Very proud of what this team overcame this season. A group of tremendous workers who loved competing and playing with each other.”
Rather than having two straight bye weeks, the Avon
Eagles — pending approval from the Ohio High School Athletic Association — are looking to add Perrysburg to their schedule and would plan to host the Yellow Jackets on Oct. 16 in Avon.
Instead of preparing for their first playoff gameof the season this week, Division II Avon would use its game against Division I Perrysburg as a tune-up. The Eagles will await the winner of eighthseeded Medina Highland vs. ninth-seeded Fremont Ross.
“If we are playing a game,
we are playing to win it,” Elder said. “We are playing a really good opponent. They are 6-1 and it’s like having a really good team the final game of the season. That’s the way we are looking at it, it’s like our final game of the season. That’s what we’ll tell our kids.”
Avon finds itself in a unique situation with the chance to grab a pair of wins on the same day.
“It’s also a chance to win two games on one Friday night, that’s kind of cool right? Elder said. “I don’t think that’s ever been done because we’ll get the forfeit in the playoffs and then maybe we can get another one so we’ll try to go 2-0.
“That would be pretty cool to go from 6-0 to 8-0 in one weekend. It plays out well because we’ll be one of eight teams next week. To me, it’s Week 10 and that’s how we are treating this.”
Elder weighed the decision to either play a game or take another bye week and he chose the former.
“I needed to decide if we were going to play a game or not and there are pros and cons to it,” he said. “At the end of the day, our kids signed up to play games, and I don’t want to have backto-back bye weeks. I don’t know if that’s good for kids. They want to play, so we’ve managed to get ourselves a really good opponent in Perrysburg. We have a history with them in the playoffs so this will be a playoff caliber teamWeek 10. That’s the way we look at it.”