Hurricanes forfeiting two games over virus; Opp to forfeit Friday’s game against Neal
Due to positive COVID-19 tests within the Flomaton High School football program and the quarantine of an undisclosed number of players, Flomaton was forced to forfeit this past Friday night's regional matchup at Hillcrest in Evergreen and will also forfeit this Friday's home game against T.R. Miller.
Flomaton is scheduled to wrap up the regular season on Oct. 30 against Escambia County High School.
COVID-19 has also derailed this Friday night's game between W.S. Neal and Opp, which had been scheduled to be Neal's senior night.
Escambia County School Superintendent John Knott said Opp officials notified W.S. Neal officials Tuesday that due to COVID-19 issues the Bobcats would be forfeiting Friday night's game in East Brewton.
Knott said no new positive cases of COVID-19 have been determined at Flomaton and said he met with head football coach Doug Vickery and Principal Scott Hammond Wednesday morning and the remaining football players will be able to return to practice this week.
“We will continue to monitor the situation,” Knott said.
He also said he's optimistic that Flomaton will be able to play its final regular season game against Atmore if things continue as is.
Knott said the decision to not play the football games against Hillcrest and T.R. Miller was based on protocol established by the Alabama Department of Public Health and the State Department of Education.
“Nobody hates to send a kid home more than me,” Knott said. “But we are following the plan and the guidance of health officials.”
The quarantine not only involved people who tested positive for the coronavirus but those who had direct contact with those people.
Knott said in checking with school systems in surrounding areas, Escambia County is low in positive cases compared to other systems.
“It's sure not worth putting one kid in jeopardy,” Knott said. “We must comply with the guidelines.”
Flomaton was originally scheduled to kick off the 2020 season by hosting Choctaw County, but that school opted out of the season due to COVID-19 concerns and Flomaton won the game by forfeit.
The forfeits against Hillcrest and T.R. Miller makes T.R. Miller the region champion. Even with two losses in the region, Flomaton will make the 3A playoffs and depending on games this week and next week, Flomaton will either be the second seed, third seed or fourth seed.
