COVID outbreak cancels football game for one Midlands high school team

Keenan has canceled this week’s home football game against Orangeburg-Wilkinson because of COVID issues within the Raiders program.

The game won’t be counted as a forfeit. Orangeburg-Wilkinson is working to find a replacement for the game.

“There was a COVID-19 outbreak on Keenan’s football team. Thirteen of Keenan’s football players reported testing positive for COVID. We are following the guidelines recommended by DHEC,” Richland 1 communications director Karen York told The State.

The cancellation is believed to be the first one anywhere in South Carolina because of COVID issues since the 2021 season. COVID caused major problems with sports cancellation in the Midlands and across the state in 2020 and 2021.

According to the S.C. High School League, about 10% to 12% of football games were canceled or postponed in 2020. The Class 2A championship game between Abbeville and Marion was pushed back a few weeks because of COVID within the Marion football team.

Things largely returned to normal by the 2022 season, with stadiums and arenas operating at full capacity for games.

This week, many of games across the state were moved back in start times or moved up a day because of extreme heat in the forecast.

The College of Charleston on Thursday also announced its planned women’s soccer match against S.C. State for the evening had been postponed because of COVID issues for the Bulldogs’ program.

A new COVID strain called XBB.1.5 — a subvariant of the COVID-19 Omicron variant — has led to a rise in cases and hospitalizations in South Carolina.

This Week’s Schedule

Thursday

North Central at Hannah-Pamplico, 7 p.m.

Eau Claire at Hunter Kinard-Tyler, 7:30 p.m.

Dreher at AC Flora, 7:30 p.m.

Pelion at Columbia, 7:30 p.m.

Westwood at Lower Richland, 7:30 p.m.

Friday

8 p.m. starts

Andrew Jackson at Fairfield Central, 8 p.m.

Blythewood at Richland Northeast, 8 p.m.

Brookland-Cayce at Airport, 8 p.m.

Crestwood at Gray Collegiate, 8 p.m.

Lancaster at Irmo, 8 p.m.

Mid-Carolina at Chapin, 8 p.m.

Northside Christian at Greenwood Christian, 8 p.m.

Richard Winn at Laurens Academy, 8 p.m.

Ridge Spring-Monetta at Saluda, 8 p.m.

River Bluff at Swansea, 8 p.m.

South Aiken at Lexington, 8 p.m.

White Knoll at Spring Valley, 8 p.m.

No changes yet. 7:30 p.m. start

Batesburg-Leesville at Gilbert

CA Johnson at Trinity Collegiate

Cardinal Newman at Pee Dee Academy

Florence Christian at Hammond

Heathwood Hall at Ben Lippen

Lugoff-Elgin at Camden

Newberry Academy at Oakbrook Prep

Northside Christian at Greenwood Christian

Orangeburg-Wilkinson at Keenan, canceled.

Ridge View at Sumter

Spartanburg at Dutch Fork

WW King at Wardlaw