AVON, Sept. 23, 2021 – The Avon High football team won’t play again this week.
The Falcons have canceled Saturday’s scheduled game at Notre Dame-Fairfield due to the impact of COVID-19 cases on the team, confirmed athletic director Tim Filon.
As in the previous two weeks, Avon doesn’t have enough healthy players to field a team. Some players have actually been ill with COVID, according to head coach Jeff Redman while other players are in quarantine.
Avon’s season opening game with Tolland on Sept. 10 was postponed until Oct. 15 when the two schools had an open date. Last week’s game with Rocky Hill on Sept. 17 was also postponed.
“Everyone is disappointed but they totally get why we can’t play,” Redman said. “Last year, we were afraid of what could happen. This year, kids are actually getting sick. It’s not just the football team, it is (in) our school community.”
As of Thursday at 2:30 p.m., Avon’s COVID dashboard reported 13 positive COVID-19 tests at Avon High among students and faculty and 11 AHS students or faculty in quarantine due to a close contact. Some contacts came in school while others came in the general community.
The CIAC’s fall sports guidelines provide guidance on quarantining and the quarantine period is different depending on if the athlete has received a vaccine or not.
Fully vaccinated players who are a close contact do not have to quarantine provided they remain asymptomatic and wear a mask until receiving a negative COVID-19 test, taken 3-to-5 days after the contact or 14 days without a test.
Unvaccinated asymptomatic students who are a close contact will quarantine for 10 days (with a negative test on day 8 or later). They can also quarantine for 14 days without taking a test.
Students (vaccinated or unvaccinated) that experience COVID-19 symptoms after a close contact with a known COVID-19 case will quarantine for 10 days (with a negative test on day 8 or later) or quarantine 14 days without a test.
Students who have been sick with COVID-19 do have to get cleared by a licensed physician before returning to the field, according to the CIAC’s recommended guidelines. The guidelines also recommend time to recover from the illness.
Avon’s game with Notre Dame-Fairfield was going to be the first between the schools on the gridiron since 1995.
The Falcons, who held practice this week with the players healthy enough to workout, hope to open their 2021 season on Friday, Oct. 1 in a night game at Northwest Catholic.
Avon football 2021
Friday, Sept. 10: TOLLAND, ppd. to Oct. 15
Friday, Sept. 19: at Rocky Hill, ppd., TBA
Saturday, Sept. 25: at Notre Dame-Fairfield, cancelled
Friday, Oct. 1 at Northwest Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 8 at Bloomfield, 7 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 15: TOLLAND, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 22: FARMINGTON, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 29: HARTFORD PUBLIC, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 5: BRANFORD, 6:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 12: @East Catholic, 6:30 p.m.
Tuesday, Nov. 23: LEWIS MILLS, 6 p.m.
