Fort Cherry calls off game against Cornell due to COVID-19 outbreak within program

CORRECTION: Cornell High School athletic director Bill Sacco later clarified that he was informed by Fort Cherry that 20 players were ruled out due to contact tracing. Those players had not been confirmed to be COVID-19 positive.

Cornell High School's game against Fort Cherry on Friday night has been canceled.

Fort Cherry called off the contest — which Cornell was scheduled to host — due to a COVID-19 outbreak within the Rangers' program, Cornell athletic director Bill Sacco told The Times on Thursday evening.

Sacco added that both schools will receive a ruling from the WPIAL on Friday to determine whether the game will be a forfeit or no-contest. It will likely be considered a forfeit, though, because of the feasibility of rescheduling with just one more week left in the regular season. 

"It's just disappointing," Sacco told The Times. "And I feel bad for (Fort Cherry), because of the fact that they're in the playoff hunt, as well." 

The WPIAL Class 1A Raiders (6-1, 2-0) have already qualified for the WPIAL playoffs. But, the Class 1A Rangers (5-3, 3-2) needed a win over Cornell or Burgettstown next week in order to secure their spot in postseason play. 

Sacco said Cornell would not have any interest in rescheduling the contest, even if the possibility were to be brought up by Fort Cherry.

"There's no (time) to reschedule," Sacco said. "I mean, if there was a week to reschedule, we probably could do that. But as soon as this week is over, we play OLSH next week. As soon as that week is over, you're into the playoffs."

If the game is, in fact, ruled to be a forfeit by Fort Cherry, Cornell will have clinched the Big Seven Conference title for the first time since 1983.

Fort Cherry did not respond immediately to The Times' request for comment.

Contact Parth Upadhyaya at pupadhyaya@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter @pupadhyaya_.