Virus concerns prompt quarantine for Kewaskum HS football
KEWASKUM, Wis. - It is "timeout" for the Kewaskum High School football team before the season even kicks off.
District leaders canceled the first two games after two players tested positive for the coronavirus.
"It's very disappointing. I think that all of our kids want to play," Mark Bazata, curriculum director for the Kewaskum School District, said. "We want our students to be able to engage normally. But at the same time, I think when it comes down to it, we want to make sure our students are safe and we`ve got to put that first."
Bazata said after consulting with the WIAA and county health department, the entire football program has been placed in quarantine -- with the exception of six players; the head coach said they had no contact with the infected individuals.
Six players practice after positive COVID-19 tests impact the Kewaskum High School football team
"We're sanitizing equipment, we're making sure that students are staying away from each other as much as possible," said Bazata.
The last-minute audible is now the new norm for many school districts in the wake of the pandemic.
"You know, it's tough with high contact sports," Bazta said. "We do the best we can to try to protect our kids.
FREE DOWNLOAD: Get breaking news alerts in the FOX6 News app for iOS or Android.
Meanwhile, in Sheboygan Falls, the high school athletic director said he is now looking for a replacement team to play -- Sheboygan Falls was scheduled to face Kewaskum on Friday -- because his athletes are not restricted by an COVID-19 concerns.
Related
How athletes can prevent injuries as high school football returns
With high school football starting up this week in Wisconsin, experts are hoping the trend does not continue at that level.
Related
Protection means more than helmets, pads for Kenosha football team
For students and athletic teams, including the Hawks' football team, taking things one day at a time is not just a cliché, but reality.
Related
17 absent Kenosha teachers report virus-like symptoms, district says
Seventeen of the 115 teachers without pre-approved absences reported coronavirus-like symptoms.