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District officials confirmed 20 players on the Monte Vista High School varsity football team are quarantining after one player tested positive for COVID-19, leading to contact-tracing protocols sidelining nearly half of the Mustangs’ 47-player roster this week.
The rest of the Mustangs played a scrimmage on the road Saturday against Acalanes High School in Lafayette, where the home Dons won a tight game 33-27.
The unidentified Monte Vista player was asymptomatic when they tested positive, according to Danny Hillman, assistant superintendent for the San Ramon Valley Unified School District.
“It’s not an outbreak, it’s a single case; an outbreak would be three or more connected cases so we don’t have that situation,” Hillman told DanvilleSanRamon.com on Friday afternoon. “As far as I can tell none of the others tested positive; they are all just home quarantining… If we had had any additional positives, it would have been reported so we would have known about it. At this point, no news means we’re feeling pretty good.”
In accordance with state laws, SRVUSD sports teams test players for COVID-19 every week, a practice mandated while districts are in the purple tier — according to state’s color-coded reopening plan — but one the SRVUSD intended to continue with Contra Costa County transitioning to the red tier.
Weekly tests are particularly relevant for sports like football, where close personal contact is just a part of the game, according to Hillman.
Monte Vista traveled to Lafayette for its first scrimmage of the pandemic-delayed season on Saturday evening. “Football is back! The Stangs are short handed but ready to roll!” the MVHS Athletics account tweeted before the practice game began.
The host Dons jumped out to an early lead that grew to 33-14 at one point before the Mustangs rallied to get within six points in the fourth quarter. Acalanes held on to win the scrimmage 33-27.
