Carlisle shuts down athletic program again

For the second time this month, Carlisle has shut down its athletic program after two students were exposed to the coronavirus.

Carlisle announced on its Facebook page that extracurricular activities will be suspended because of student-athletes coming in contact with a positive case of covid-19 off campus.

Carlisle Principal and Athletic Director BJ Greene told the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on Wednesday that the two students are sisters. The older sibling, who is in the school's band, came into contact with a person who tested positive for covid-19 at her workplace. Greene said the younger sister who is in the softball, basketball and dance programs is considered a third party by the Arkansas Department of Health.

The students' test results were unknown Wednesday. Their mother and father have also been tested. The students were not named because of privacy laws, Greene said.

Greene said the health department did not tell Carlisle to shut down its athletic program Wednesday, but that the school district did out of caution for its students, coaches and community. He added that facilities will be closed indefinitely as the school awaits results from the tests.

Carlisle also shut down July 1 after a football player was exposed to covid-19, but he later tested negative. The Bison returned to football workouts July 10.

"Everything had been going good," Greene said. "We didn't have junior high in June, but the junior high athletes are back and so are our dance and cheer programs. We've been back in the swing of things.

"But this isn't good. We have to deal with it. It [the virus] is here."

Seven known school districts in the state have shut down their athletic facilities and programs because of a covid-19 case or exposure to the virus.

Clarksville had two football players test positive, while Jonesboro and Atkins each had one case from a football player, with Atkins' case coming in its junior high program. Little Rock Catholic has had three athletes test positive for covid-19. Lake Hamilton and Mountain Pine each had an athlete with a positive test. Catholic, Lake Hamilton and Mountain Pine did not announce the sport of the affected athletes, citing privacy laws.

Atkins announced Wednesday that it will resume athletic workouts at the varsity and junior high levels Monday after receiving approval from the health department. The school district had announced Tuesday that a seventh-grade football player tested positive for the virus.

Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced during his news conference Wednesday in Conway that there were 564 new cases, bringing the state's total to 30,297. There were 13 new hospitalizations, increasing the total to 458. Also, there were 4 new deaths to make Arkansas' total of covid-19 fatalities 335.

Greene recalled a conversation with Carlisle football coach Caleb Shock recently about the status of the 2020 season. The Arkansas Activities Association has said that it is planning to have sports being played this fall. Fall football practice is scheduled to begin Aug. 3, with the regular season set for the week of Aug. 24-29.

"I told him, 'I can't promise you we'll have a season,' " Greene said. "He [Shock] said, 'But I'll be ready if we do play.' "

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