Unbeaten Fairdale football team out of playoffs after positive test for COVID-19
Jason Frakes
Undefeated Fairdale High School football saw its season come to an end Thursday after a player tested positive for COVID-19.
Fairdale (7-0) was scheduled to play at Owensboro (10-0) on Friday in the third round of the Class 5A playoffs. Owensboro will now receive a bye into the semifinals.
Fairdale athletic director Gregg Longacre said the program received the news Thursday and informed players during an “extremely emotional” Zoom meeting.
“It’s tough on everybody,” Longacre said. “(Coach Louis Dover) isn’t even able to meet face to face with them. That makes it difficult. And who knows, with this COVID, when we’ll get that chance.”
Fairdale was set to face Owensboro in the third round of the playoffs for the second straight year. The Red Devils won last year’s meeting 41-6, leaving the Bulldogs with an 11-2 record.
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This season, Fairdale averaged 48.3 points per game, ranking No. 3 in the state. Senior running back Deshawn Hamilton led the Bulldogs with 1,008 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns.
Dover declined comment but sent a text message about his team reading “#NEVERBEATEN.”
“We feel like our program is a top-eight program now, and this is a game that would help us gauge what we need to do to and where we’re at to get into that top four,” Longacre said. “We want to compete and see where we’re at. …
“These kids have done everything we’ve asked, and this coaching staff has worked so hard on making sure these kids are safe and following the protocols and doing everything right. The day before we play, it’s swept out from under us. It’s crushing.”
Fairdale-Owensboro is the third third-round playoff game in Kentucky to be canceled this week because of the COVID-19 pandemic, joining Covington Catholic-Madison Southern in Class 5A and Boyle County-Rowan County in Class 4A. Covington Catholic and Boyle County both advanced to the state semifinals as the result of positive COVID-19 cases within the Madison Southern and Rowan County programs.
Fairdale’s departure leaves Class 6A Male as the only JCPS program remaining in the playoffs. The Bulldogs are scheduled to host McCracken County on Friday.
Jason Frakes: 502-582-4046; jfrakes@courier-journal.com; Twitter: @kyhighs.