Representatives from the band program, cheer team, Flames, student council and the varsity football team met yesterday to discuss rescheduling homecoming events. The rescheduling comes after the varsity football game, sub varsity football games, parade and pep rally scheduled for Sept. 23-25 were cancelled due to COVID-19 related issues. 

The representatives voted in an 8-2 decision to have all of the homecoming events Oct. 21. 

The cancellation of today’s game was announced Tuesday morning and was attributed to “COVID-19 related issues.”

“This is the second week in a row that we have not been able to play at any level at the high school,” head football coach Troy Rogers said. “We decided to not practice after school on Tuesday and Wednesday so we could make sure the locker rooms and field house got deep-cleaned and sanitized, including the weight room. We did get work done during the athletic period on those two days. This upcoming week we will practice after school Monday through Thursday. We are staying positive and keeping the faith for a successful district stretch. The key is, how do you respond to adversity? I believe we respond well and we will be ready to play Taylor in two weeks.” 

Per multiple emails from Superintendent Chane Rascoe, seven high school students have tested positive for COVID-19 so far since Monday. This is in contrast to zero or one student testing positive per week since school started. 

According to students, the specific cause of the cancellation was a student who tested positive being around multiple people last weekend, which led to a series of students testing positive and/or being quarantined.

Due to the next home game being a district game, the majority of student representatives chose to host  homecoming festivities on the Wednesday prior to it. This would place the homecoming parade, pep-rally, presentation of the court and announcement of the homecoming king and queen on the same day. This is in contrast to the alternate plan of having the parade and pep-rally on Wednesday, as well as the crowning of the king, and have the crowning of the queen on Friday during the football game’s halftime. This would traditionally be the plan, however, homecoming games are almost always held in the preseason, as most football coaches do not approve of having homecoming festivities during district, and the only upcoming home games are district games.

“I understand why the decision was made the way it was,” senior Cole Wheeler, who voted at the meeting, said. “I didn’t agree with it. I don’t really see why the girls can’t walk across [the field] on Friday. At the end of the day, I’m still grateful that we have an opportunity to still do homecoming activities. I’m still glad we have an opportunity to do these things and we’re not letting COVID completely shut us down.”