SAND ROCK – Another area high school football game has been canceled due to COVID-19.

Friday’s scheduled contest between Collinsville and Sand Rock has been called off, both schools confirmed on Tuesday afternoon.

Sand Rock principal Ben East released a statement to WEIS Radio explaining the details.

“I was informed today that two Sand Rock High School varsity football players have tested positive for COVID-19. In following the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) and Alabama Department of Public Health guidelines, we have identified and quarantined an additional nine varsity football players who were exposed to one of the positive COVID-19 cases throughout the course of the school day. Due to these unfortunate circumstances we will be forced to cancel our upcoming varsity football game against Collinsville High School scheduled for this Friday, September 25.”

East went on to say the administration, athletic department and coaching staff at Sand Rock High School will meet to reevaluate the varsity football team’s health status on Monday, September 28th and discuss the status of the Wildcats’ next scheduled varsity football game at Locust Fork scheduled for Friday, Oct. 2.

“The health and safety of our student athletes will always be our top priority in establishing a timeline for the team to return to the field,” East said. “Additionally, I would like to thank our school nurses, coaching staff, student athletes, and parents affected by this situation for the hard work, dedication, and understanding they display every day. Anyone can follow the rules and do what is right under normal circumstances, but facing a difficult situation will bring out the true character of a person. I am honored to be surrounded by people who know this to be true and display it through their actions.”

East went on to say the varsity football team is the only team affected by the COVID situation.

Collinsville football coach Daniel Garrett said he was informed of Sand Rock’s decision to cancel while his Panthers were watching film on the Wildcats Tuesday afternoon around 1:15 p.m.

“We were in the middle of watching film on Sand Rock, then I get a call that it’s forfeited,” Garrett said. “We cut that film off and then started watching Plainview, then we started trying to find another game.
“It’s just one of those things where you’ve got to be adaptable and be able to change. That’s kind of where it’s at. We all have to be able to adapt with the circumstances and go from there.”

Shortly after the Collinsville Panthers learned of their football game being canceled at Sand Rock because of the Wildcats’ COVID-19 concerns on Tuesday, the school announced via Facebook it will now host Section at Chad Hawkins Stadium on Friday

Collinsville defeated the Lions 7-0 in their season opener back on Aug. 21. 

Sand Rock drops to 2-3 with the forfeit, while Collinsville improves to 4-2.