Saluda, Newberry football game postponed after late COVID-19 issue arises
The anticipated Newberry-Saluda football matchup has been postponed because of COVID-19 concerns with the Newberry football team.
Both teams came into the game at 1-0 and ranked in top 10 in Class 2A rankings. The game will be made up at Oct. 30 at Saluda. Newberry was scheduled to play Mid-Carolina that day and Saluda was supposed to face Blacksburg.
“The Newberry High School football team has had a COVID-related incident that is going to force them to quarantine some of their players,” Saluda Schools superintendent Harvey Livingston said on a message on Twitter.
Newberry High School put out a brief statement Friday afternoon on its Facebook page, saying “Due to COVID-19 issues, the Newberry High School Varsity football game at Saluda High School has been postponed.”
There is a chance Newberry’s game against Eau Claire on Oct. 9 might also have to be postponed but no decision has been made yet, according to Newberry athletic director Chad Cary.
Saluda athletic department said tickets for Friday’s game will be honored at the game on Oct. 30. But if you can’t make it to that game, the school is letting fans get refunds at the school on Monday-Thursday next week from 9:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
The game is the latest Midlands contest postponed because of COVID-19.
Pelion’s game against Silver Bluff and next week’s game against Wade Hampton were postponed and will be made up at the end of the season. Pelion will play Silver Bluff on Oct. 30 an Wade Hampton on Nov. 5.
Lexington and River Bluff also previously announced they won’t play a game tonight for the second straight week because of the coronavirus. Both schools will open their seasons next week with Lexington hosting Ridge View and River Bluff facing Dutch Fork.
Camden had to miss a scrimmage and its opener because of COVID-19 but opened its season Friday against Manning.
South Carolina’s K-12 schools have 89 newly reported coronavirus cases since Tuesday, when cases were last reported, according to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control data. There have been 910 reported cases since school began. That number includes 640 student cases and 270 employee cases, according to the DHEC database updated Friday.
According to the report, Newberry High had no reported cases of COVID-19.
S.C. high school teams are playing a shortened seven-game season during the pandemic, and teams are playing region contests first. Those games help determine playoff seeding. The season is starting a little more than a month later than originally planned.
This story was originally published October 2, 2020 at 12:21 PM.
