KEYSER, W.Va. — Derek Stephen figured he’d learn a lot about his Keyser football team in Week 1 with the Golden Tornado slated to welcome Robert C. Byrd in a premier season-opening Class AA showdown.
On Monday, however, Stephen got a phone call every coach is hoping to avoid this season — one informing him Keyser is unable to play the Flying Eagles on Friday due to covid issues within the program.
With 11 preseason practices to this point, the Golden Tornado don’t have enough available players to meet the minimum 14 required by the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission prior to game competition.
“The main reason that the game is off is we’re unable to meet the minimum number of practices required by the WVSSAC,” Stephen said. “We were hoping to practice Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday to hit the number, but our kids are unable to come back until Friday now.”
Keyser last practiced August 16, but learned of a positive covid case within the program later that day and has been out of action since. Just three days prior, the Golden Tornado scrimmaged University.
Stephen couldn’t say exactly how many players or coaches have tested positive, though he added that the team has “ten players, give or take one or two each way, that are still in school.”
The first day of school in Mineral County was last Friday and fully vaccinated players not displaying symptoms aren’t forced to quarantine for 10 days, unlike those who have tested positive or are close contacts and not fully vaccinated.
“We just get told there was a case and they’re quarantined until this day,” Stephen said. “I haven’t seen some players or even talked to them or asked them. Really, we’ve been communicating through the Hudl app and text messages, but that’s all of the communication we’ve had for any who are unvaccinated.”
To this point, nobody within the KHS football program has displayed severe symptoms.
“We might’ve had a few players with a little cough or something, but none that are really sick,” Stephen said.
For the time being, Keyser’s game with Robert C. Byrd is a postponement. It becomes the first postponement of the 2021 high school football season without a scheduled makeup date. Liberty Harrison, also dealing with covid issues, postponed Friday’s scheduled opener against Elkins until August 30.
The Golden Tornado have a bye on September 17, while Robert C. Byrd, which entered the season with a nine-game schedule, is off October 1 and October 22.
If the game is not made up, it will be a forfeit in the favor of RCB.
“We’re asking schools to cooperate with each other as much as we can to make games up,” WVSSAC Executive Director Bernie Dolan said. “Come playoff time, it’ll definitely be a forfeit. But they have time in their schedules to try and make these up. It’s not a guaranteed forfeit until later in the year, and we’re hoping using the whole season to try and make up games up will lessen the amount of forfeits.”
On paper, the matchup between the Golden Tornado and Eagles was one of the top opening-week contests across the state. Keyser and RCB have been fixtures in the Class AA postseason and are coming off successful 2020 campaigns that saw the Golden Tornado finish 7-2 and the Eagles 8-2.
Keyser is No. 9 and RCB is No. 3 in the preseason Class AA MetroNews Power Rankings.
“We had anticipated being back today and having everybody back and preparing through a short week, but we knew what we were going to do,” Stephen said. “We had contingency plans going forward, but when I got the call, it felt like a gut punch. It takes the air out of your sails pretty quick. But I think our kids will respond and hopefully we can get this past us and get going next week in the right direction.”
Keyser is scheduled to host Berkeley Springs in Week 2 for what would now be its season opener.
“As it stands right now, we anticipate being able to play in Week 2,” Stephen said. “I’m keeping my fingers crossed and knocking on wood.”