Poplar Bluff football team cancels game Friday due to contact tracing

For the second time this fall, the Poplar Bluff football team will be sitting at home Friday night.

The Mules were forced to cancel their game at Hillsboro Wednesday morning when the school learned that contact tracing of a positive test for COVID-19 limited the number of players available to play.

Poplar Bluff’s varsity game Friday and the ninth grade game with Hillsboro on Monday have been canceled.

“The health and safety of our student-athletes is our primary focus,” Poplar Bluff Director of Athletics Kent Keith said in a statement.

“This decision was not made easily, but we feel it was the right decision.”

The Mules (4-3) had a game at Rolla canceled on Sept. 25 when that school also had players in quarantine due to contact tracing.

Friday marks the end of the regular season, meaning Poplar Bluff will be unable to add points towards its district standings. The Mules are currently ranked fourth behind Seckman. As it stands, Poplar Bluff would host Oakville in the district quarterfinal on Oct. 30.

The contact tracing for a positive COVID-19 test quarantines players from Oct. 13, when the junior varsity team played at Cape Central, school sources said. The quarantine ends on Tuesday, giving the team two days to practice for their next game.

However, if another player or coach develops symptoms and tests positive, the quarantine is extended from that point.

The Butler County Health Department reports that there are 11 active cases of COVID-19 for the age group 10-19. Since the start of school, the number of confirmed cases for anyone under the age of 20 has jumped from 25 to 173.