Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland forfeits Friday football game with Polo as FCHS goes on COVID-19-caused ‘adaptive pause’

FLANAGAN - Flanagan-Cornell High School started an “adaptive pause” Tuesday that will run through Friday and force the Flanagan-Cornell/Woodland Falcons eight-man football team to forfeit its scheduled Woodland homecoming game Friday against the Polo Marcos.

Flanagan-Cornell announced on its website Tuesday that high school students will finish the week via remote learning. FCW football coach Todd Reed said he hopes the team will be able to return to action for its Week 6 game at Martinsville.

With the forfeit loss, FCW’s football team falls to 3-2.

Polo – which also received a forfeit win last week when Decatur Lutheran proved unable to play – improves to 5-0 unless it replaces FCW on its schedule with another opponent. The Marcos are scheduled to return to action Oct. 1 at home against Hanover River Ridge.

While Flanagan-Cornell goes on pause, co-op partner Woodland will remain in session.

“We are not on a pause,” Woodland superintendent Ryan McGuckin said. “We do SHIELD testing (for COVID-19) every Thursday, and none of our students or teachers tested positive last week. We will test again this Thursday.”

McGuckin said in addition to classes, extracurricular activities other than football are all still a go at this time, although modified without the traditional homecoming football game.

On Thursday, there will be a 2 p.m. pep rally, and afterward pork chops and hot dogs will be served in the circle in front of the school. The crowning of homecoming king and queen along with other homecoming activities will be moved up a day to take part during Woodland’s Thursday night volleyball matches against Marquette Academy, which begin with JV at 6 p.m. followed by varsity about 7 p.m.

The homecoming class contests will be Friday. Woodland’s homecoming dance remains Saturday.