Ohio high school football team dealing with rare, contagious illness - USA Today

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 canceling its Sept. 18 game against Field High School. The Akron Beacon Journal, part of the USA TODAY Network, reported the news.

So far, an alternative date for the game hasn't been decided, nor has it been determined whether Cuyahoga Falls will be required to forfeit. The Black Tigers are 2-2, but a forfeit looks likely under 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 have been taking 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 the importance of frequent handwashing and asked parents to watch for symptoms such as skin rash, mouth sores, and fever.

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