RALLS COUNTY, Mo. — It’s something high school sports fans have been holding their breath and hoping won’t happen, but the Mark Twain Tiger’s football team is the first to report after positive COVID-19 test results from members, it’s shut down and in quarantine for two weeks.
Mark Twain Athletic Director Cody McCann said the district is working closely with the Ralls County Health Department and the decision was made to shut football down for two weeks for the safety of players, coaches and the school.
“Right now, our main focus is on the recovery and well-being of our athletes,” noted McCann.
The players and coaches are in quarantine until Tuesday, Aug. 25 with their first game scheduled against South Callaway on Friday, Aug. 28. That leaves the question as to how the football team will get in the required practices in prior to the first game.
“Virtual practices are an option, but we do not know if Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) will let those count,” stated McCann.
He spoke with MSHSAA officials on Friday and as of right now MSHSAA is planning a meeting Monday to discuss the possibility. That leaves Mark Twain, and other schools who may end up facing similar situations, in limbo until late Monday or early Tuesday.
“We decided this (virtual practices) would be best in our situation so the players and coaches are still in contact and can still work through different things,” added McCann. “The players can still do some sort of conditioning on a live feed where the coaches can see them. The coaches could also do a chalk talk with the team to go over formations and plays.”
The big question mark that still lingers is what happens to the Tigers schedule if MSHSAA decides to not allow the team to count virtual practices.
“If MSHSAA doesn’t count the practices, we will not be able to play on Aug. 28th at South Callaway,” stated McCann. “The game would be counted as a ‘no game’ with our circumstances.”
He added, moving forward from there, they would hopefully be able to play their week two game hosting Clopton/Elsberry.
Stay tuned to Eagle 102 and kjfmradio.com for more on the Tiger’s upcoming season.