Positive COVID-19 test forces KHS varsity football forfeit

Hayden Davidson, design editor| October 30, 2020

KHS varsity football’s playoff push ends early due to a positive COVID-19 test.

An individual within the KHS varsity football program was diagnosed with COVID-19, of which KHS administration was notified the afternoon of Friday, Oct. 30. The positive test result came on the day of the first round of district playoffs, a home game vs. St. Louis University High School (SLUH). KHS notified the Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) that the district game vs. SLUH will be recorded as a forfeit, with Kirkwood knocked out of districts and SLUH advancing to the next round.

On Monday, Oct. 26, the KSD Board of Education voted to approve Superintendent Dr. David Ulrich’s plan to return to in-person learning, scheduled for Nov. 9. Student-athletes, coaches and any others who are close contacts of the individual who tested positive must quarantine until Nov. 13, and therefore must attend school virtually during the first week of in-person learning. The CDC defines a close contact as “any individual within 6 feet of an infected person for a total of 15 minutes or more.” Those who are contacts of close contacts, such as family members of KHS football student-athletes, do not need to quarantine and will be informed further via email. The KHS athletics department’s press release included the JV football game vs. CBC scheduled for Monday, Nov. 2 has also been canceled, and the freshman football game vs. Webster Groves scheduled for Saturday, Oct. 31 has been canceled due to Webster not having enough players.

The forfeited varsity game follows the Pioneers’ consecutive wins against Ladue and Eureka that ended the regular season. According to Fox 2’s Jim Powers, the Kirkwood vs. SLUH game is the 15th first round district playoff game across the state of Missouri to not be played. The annual Turkey Day Game between Kirkwood and Webster Groves remains as scheduled, Thursday, Nov. 26.