Harding Academy has canceled its Aug. 28 game at Bald Knob because of multiple cases of covid-19 in the football program.
Superintendent James Simmons told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette that eight football players have tested positive for the virus, with the first case coming Aug. 10 and the latest Tuesday night.
Also, 49 students at Harding Academy are currently quarantined because they were in close contact with the eight football players. A volleyball player and another athlete at the school also have tested positive for covid-19. Simmons did not announce the athlete's sport because of privacy laws.
Harding Academy is one of four Arkansas high schools that will not play their first game of the football season next week.
Fountain Lake announced Wednesday that its game at Hot Springs scheduled for Aug. 27 was canceled because two coaches tested positive for the virus. Clarksville's game at Ozark, which was set for Aug. 28, was rescheduled to Sept. 11 after the Panthers announced a player and two coaches had tested positive. Ozark filled Clarksville's spot with Valley View for Aug. 28.
Bentonville was scheduled to host Liberty (Mo.) North on Aug. 28, but Liberty North is not allowed to travel out of state because of coronavirus concerns. Liberty North's conference made the decision for all of its league teams.
The Arkansas Activities Association has ruled the four affected games each as a "no contest," meaning no team is issued a win or a loss. Steve Roberts, an associate executive director who is the AAA's rules interpreter for football, told the Democrat-Gazette that the AAA is expected to release further guidelines on canceled games because of covid-19 at a later date.
Simmons said it's unfortunate the Wildcats, who defeated Osceola in last year's Class 3A state title game to finish 15-0, will not play its season-opening game.
"It's tremendously tough," Simmons said. "But we want our student body to be healthy. We want our football team to be healthy. We want our school to be healthy."
Bald Knob Coach Lynn Garner did not return multiple telephone calls from the Democrat-Gazette.
When asked where players and students may have been exposed to the virus, Simmons said they were off-campus at various social gatherings.
Harding Academy, a private school in Searcy, began classes Aug. 7. Public schools are scheduled to open Monday.
Harding Academy football Coach Neil Evans looked forward to seeing the Wildcats on the field, but that will have to wait at least until their next game Sept. 11 against Heber Springs.
"I know it's very frustrating to not play," Evans said. "It's frustrating for our players. It's frustrating for our coaches and frustrating for our fans."