Status of East Hardy’s state quarterfinal game uncertain

HARRISONBURG, Va. (WHSV) - The East Hardy High School football team’s toughest opponent this week might be COVID-19.

The Cougars are preparing to play Tolsia in the quarterfinals of WVSSAC Class A State Playoffs. The game is tentatively scheduled for a 1:30 p.m. kickoff Sunday at Tolsia. But as of Wednesday evening, COVID-19 numbers in Hardy County and Wayne County (Tolsia’s home county) would prevent the game from being played. Both counties are labeled “Orange” in the latest West Virginia County Alert System. High schools in “Orange” or “Red” counties are not permitted to participate in prep sports.

“We have been completely transparent with our guys this whole time,” said East Hardy head coach Devon Orndorff. “So our plan is Saturday to get together, hopefully we can have a pregame practice and while that finishes up, around the time the map is coming out, if the map is in our favor and we are able to play, we are going to jump on a bus, go down the road, and find a hotel on the way down the road.”

For the game to be played Sunday, both Hardy County and Wayne County must be labeled “Gold”, “Yellow”, or “Green”. According to Orndorff, if East Hardy and Tolsia are both unable to play, the game will be declared a “no contest” and both teams’ seasons will end. If one team is eligible to play and the other is not, the eligible team automatically moves on to the state semifinals.

The status of the game will be determined by an update to the West Virginia County Alert System Saturday evening. The system is updated daily.

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