COVID impacting fall prep sports preseasons

Posted

Central Lee athletics uninterrupted as of Sunday morning.

BY CHUCK VANDENBERG
PCC EDITOR

FORT MADISON - The COVID-19 pandemic is taking a toll on area high school fall sports programs, especially the city's two volleyball teams.

Fort Madison Activities Director Jeremy Swink confirmed Saturday that the Fort Madison Bloodhound volleyball team has suspended activities for two weeks after a player tested positive last week.

"Yes, unfortunately," Swink wrote in a text message Saturday morning. "Calling the health department Monday morning for further guidance."

Bloodhound volleyball coach Kent Bailey confirmed the status Sunday morning after hearing news of a possible exposure as he was running water and supplies to the Cedar Rapids area.

"The players can return in two weeks," he wrote. "It definitely changes the perspective on the season. Our kids are disappointed, but hopeful we'll be able to get back at it.

"It comes down to if they will have the discipline to follow through with the quarantine. We've got a great group that worked hard the first week."

Holy Trinity Catholic Activities Director John Goetz wrote Saturday, that Crusader practice was canceled as a precaution as the school "gathers information about a possible exposure."

Central Lee High School activities director Jerry Ireland said as of Sunday all fall sports are going according to schedule. The school did cancel a football scrimmage last week with Fort Madison as a precaution to a possible exposure.

At Saturday's picture day for the Fort Madison football team, prior to the intrasquad scrimmage, Head Coach Derek Doherty said he is still hoping to get the season in, especially looking back at the success of the summer sport season.

"We have high hopes of getting it in especially with the baseball and softball season and the number of teams that completed a season. That was very, very high," he said. "Baseball showed we can get it done as long as we're doing the right things," Doherty said.

He said the program is taking in all guidance from the state and the school

"We're doing everything the school has put in place plus. We have a great custodial staff spraying things down and our coaching staff has been phenomenal in making sure the right things are being done," he said.

" A lot of it to be honest is these kids deciding what's important and minimizing contact outside of us."

central lee, COVID-19, football, fort madison, health, holy trinity, Pen City Current, preseasons, sports, volleyball

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