Hand, foot and mouth disease is typically associated with children under the age of 5.
Cuyahoga Falls High School’s football team is an unusual exception.
Several players from the Ohio high school were diagnosed with the disease, leading to the program cancelling their Sept. 18 game Field High School. The news was reported by the Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network.
Thus far, an alternative date for the game hasn't been decided, nor whether Cuyahoga Falls will be required to forfeit. The Black Tigers are 2-2, but a forfeit looks likely, according to OHSAA rules.
“I feel for the kids, especially finding out this late in the week and having a pretty good week of practice and trying to bounce back after a tough one last week,” Cuyahoga
Falls coach Kevin Pask told the Beacon Journal. “We were definitely ready to get back out on the field, but unfortunately that is not able to happen. So we are trying to regroup and get ourselves healthy and get back after it, hopefully next week.
"As far as I know, based upon the rules, this will go in as a loss for us and a win for them. … Unfortunate incident, but we will move forward."
The Cuyahoga Falls City School District said additional safety measures are in place, including more disinfection and deep cleaning. The weight room and locker rooms used by football players will be closed through Sunday, Sept. 20 so they can be properly disinfected.
The district will continue to monitor the situation and work in tandem with the Summit County Health Department. It has reiterated to students and staff to practice frequent handwashing, and asked parents to look for symptoms such as skin rash, mouth sores, and fever.
Follow Sports Reporter Alex Martin on X at @NP_AlexMartin or via email: amartin@usatodayco.com. For additional high school sports coverage, be sure to follow USA TODAY High School Sports on Instagram and X.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Ohio high school football team dealing with rare, contagious illness
