Pony football first HHS sport affected by COVID-19

HHS season ends with Billings Central game called off

The coronavirus pandemic has always been something that could, and most likely would impact the 2020 Montana high school fall sports season.

Now, however, it's brought the Havre High football season to an end.

Monday morning, Havre High Activities Director Brian Kessler announced in a statement that Havre's season finale, which was slated for Friday night, has been canceled due to a COVID-19 issue with the Blue Pony football team.

"The Havre High Continuance of Play Committee met to determine whether the football game scheduled against Billings Central would be able to happen after having a vast majority of our football team put into quarantine this past weekend," Kessler said. "After looking at the numbers, it was determined that we would not be able to put 11 kids on the field and the decision was made to cancel the game."

"It's a bummer, no doubt about it," Havre head coach Ryan Gatch said. "I'm very proud of our kids. It's been very challenging, but they've done everything that's been asked of them. They've followed all the guidelines the CDC, the county health department and the school has in place, and they've done a great job with it, and that's what's tough about this, no matter what we did, it was still able to sneak into our program somehow. So it's hard, but I'm very proud of our kids for everything they've done this season.'

The Ponies, who played at Sidney last Friday night, were set to take on the undefeated Rams Friday night at Blue Pony Stadium, in what would have been the final game for Havre this season. But in a Hill County Health Department Facebook post on Sunday night, Havre Public Schools announced that 33 members of an extra curricular activities program had been placed in quarantine, and that the Havre High Continuance of Play Committee would meet on Monday to determine the next steps for the program. That turned out to eventually mean that, Havre's football season was over as a result of the issue.

The cancellation of the game comes on the heels of Havre Public Schools decision to move to remote learning through Oct. 28 due to a rise in cases, both within the school district, as well as Havre and all over Hill County. The Havre Public Schools Board of Trustees had voted to allow extra curricular activities, including all fall sports to continue as scheduled, even with the move to remote learning. However, now, that won't be the case for the Blue Pony football team. Kessler did say that, for now, volleyball games, as well as Havre attending this weekend's Class A State Cross Country Meet in Kalispell, will go on.

"We are saddened that we will not be able to play the last football game, but are proud of what the team and coaches were able to accomplish this year," Kessler said.

"To get this close and not be able to finish our season is hard," Gatch said. "Especially for our seniors. We have so many seniors who really wanted to play their last home game, to run out of that tunnel one more time, and take a shot at one of the best teams in the state. So I feel for them, and I feel for all our players and coaches. They've worked so hard this season, and to not be able to get to the finish line, that's a bummer right now."