November 16, 2020

Mr. Chris Hampton, Principal

Dobyns Bennett High School
1 Tribe Way
Kingsport, TN 37664

Mr. Joe Young, Principal

McMinn County High School
2215 Congress Parkway S
Athens, TN 37303

Gentlemen:

The football game between your schools that was scheduled to be played on Friday
November 13, 2020, was not played due to concerns that a McMinn County player who
was allegedly traveling with the team had tested positive for COVID-19. Based on the
judgment of Dr. Andrew Stephen May of the Sullivan County Health Department and Dr.
Tim Jones, the Chief Medical Officer for the Tennessee Department of Health, the game
was called off

Over the weekend, additional information that was not known to Dr. May and Dr. Jones
at the time was brought to the attention of TSSAA by representatives of McMinn County
High School. The student-athlete in question was taking virtual classes only and was only
at the school in the afternoons for football practice. According to the McMinn County
football coach, this player was ill at practice on Tuesday November 10 and was sent
home and had not been around any other McMinn County players since that time. The
student underwent testing for COVID-19 at 9:30 a.m. on Thursday November 12 and was
informed that he had a positive result. However, he suffers from asthma, and on the
morning of November 13 he was examined by his physician. His physician found that he
had no stigmata consistent with COVID-19 and that his O2 saturation was 98 with no
fever. His COVID antibody test was negative for IgG. On this basis, the physician
concluded that the student’s positive COVID test result on November 12 might be a false
positive.

The McMinn County High School Football COVID-19 Protocols limit the number of
players in the weight room at a given time. At practice, players are not allowed in groups
and are not to be around anyone for more than 30 seconds. No huddles are used, and
drills and activities are conducted in a way to maintain social distancing. The player in
question says that during the week’s practices he was never within six feet of anyone for
fifteen minutes or more.

While the McMinn County team traveled to the November 13 game by bus, the player in
question traveled separately in a car with his parents. When the team stopped for a team
meal, the player and his parents ate in a separate part of the restaurant away from the
team. During that team meal the Coordinated School Health Supervisor informed the
player that he would not be permitted to participate in the game.

The TSSAA COVID-19 Sports Regulations require that “[a]ny student or staff who has
been in close contact (within 6 feet for 15 minutes or longer) of a person with suspected
or confirmed COVID-19 must quarantine at home for a period of 14 days from their last
exposure to that individual.” The McMinn County High School Reported Case Protocol
requires contact tracing for any individual either 48 hours prior to symptom onset if
symptomatic or 48 hours prior to test date if asymptomatic.

Based on all of this information, TSSAA has attempted to find a way that the game
between the two schools could be played on Tuesday November 17. After consultation
with state health officials, we asked that McMinn County High School provide
verification from the McMinn County Health Department attesting that the school has
adequately performed the necessary contact tracing and ensured that any player other
than the student in question with whom he had close contact in the 48 hours before he
reported to practice ill on November 10 is quarantined and will not be participating in a
game if played on November 17. We informed school officials that we had to receive that
verification on November 16 in order for the contest to go forward on November 17.

Unfortunately, we did not receive the needed verification from the McMinn County
Health Department. We therefore have no alternative but to call off the game and
advance Dobyns-Bennett High School in the playoffs. We have all known that in the time
of this pandemic, something like this could occur; but we are sorry the players from the
two schools will not get to play this contest. We appreciate all the efforts that
representatives from both schools made to get us all the information we needed or
requested and to deal with this difficult situation.

Sincerely,

Bernard Childress
Executive Director

BC:lj