Florida High football week one game with Trinity Catholic postponed due to COVID outbreak in Celtics program

Florida High's week one football game Friday at Trinity Catholic has been postponed due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Celtics program, the team announced via Twitter on Thursday morning.

The statement on Twitter read: "It's with great disappointment that we must announce this week's game against Florida High has been postponed due to a COVID outbreak within the team."

Florida High head coach Jarrod Hickman said the team will use this week as a bye week and shift the team's focus to next week's game against Ponte Vedra.

He said the news was disappointing for his team following a week of preparation.

"I think it's disappointing for the kids, I mean those are the ones that are putting in a lot of hard work and a lot of time and the effort," Hickman said. "It's certainly a shock to your system when you prepare all week long and then we walk off the field late last night and get some news that wasn't good."

The game has been rescheduled to Sep. 29, previously a scheduled bye week for the Seminoles.

Florida High will now open its regular season at home against Ponte Vedra on Friday, Sep. 1.

The Seminoles will now have 10 straight weeks of football, adding an extra challenge to a difficult schedule for Florida High.

"It'll force us to look at trying to go 10 in a row, which is not an easy thing to do," Hickman said. "The circumstances are what they are and you can't complain about that, all you can do is try to go one week at a time, as cliche as that is."

Since 2020-21 the frequency of COVID causing games to be postponed or canceled has dropped dramatically, but games still remain at risk if an outbreak is to occur due to the viral nature of the virus.

The game was scheduled to be played at Trinity Catholic in Ocala, which is in Marion County.

In the Florida Department of Health COVID-19 data report, which is released every two weeks, the state recorded 18,518 cases of COVID from August 11-17, with Marion County recording 314 cases and Leon recording 218.

Big Bend Week One Football Schedule

Thursday, Aug 24.: Rickards at Crestview 7 p.m.

Friday, Aug 25.: Wakulla at Chiles 7 p.m.; NFC at Leon 7 p.m.; Halifax Academy at Aucilla Christian 7 p.m.; Fort Walton Beach at Godby 7 p.m.; FAMU DRS at Bozeman 7 p.m.; Deerfield-Windsor at Maclay 7:30 p.m.; Gadsden County at Lowndes 7:30 p.m.; JPII at IMG Academy White 7:30 p.m.; Jefferson County at Hamilton County 7:30 p.m.; Carrollwood Day at Madison County 7:30 p.m.; Fort White at Taylor County 7:30 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Tallahassee Democrat: Florida High, Trinity Catholic postponed due to COVID outbreak