Update: The number of quarantined students was decreased Monday night after further investigation by the district and the health department. Check out that story here: https://pantherstale.com/45016/sports/number-of-quarantined-football-players-students-reduced-after-further-investigation/

With the football team and multiple others DHS students — nearly 300 in total — being quarantined due to Covid, the initial fear was Friday’s homecoming game wouldn’t happen.

The Derby school district released a statement that the game has not been canceled.

“The game on Friday has not been canceled at this point because the Health Department is working with one of the students who tested positive to determine who close contacts are or if the entire team has to remain in quarantine. We should have updated information from the Health Department soon. The current quarantine was the direction provided to us by the Health Department and will stay into effect until their investigation is completed.”

The district stated in its release that this is considered a temporary quarantine. About 20 players told yearbook and newspaper staffers Monday morning that the team would be quarantined through Oct. 1.

So when will the king and queen be announced?

The king and queen are usually announced at halftime of the homecoming game. There are 10 king and queen senior candidates chosen by the student body to represent the school.

“They’ve got a million things going on right now, so they will get to us later, “ Student Council sponsor Sara Wilson said regarding when the announcement could take place. “… I have got to work with (Activities Director Russell) Baldwin and the athletics activities officers to figure out the next step.”

It would be a disappointing turn of events for the members of the homecoming court.

“(I’m feeling) a mixture of sad and mad but I’m trying to keep a good mindset since there is really nothing I can do about it,” senior Tori Bell, who is on the homecoming court, said.

Emotions ranged from devastated to trying to find the best in this situation.

“Having now been told this, first of all, I hope the players and everyone that may have come into contact with them will be all right; however, I’m not surprised in the slightest that this happened,” senior Sean Wentling, another member of the court, wrote.

Nearly every student is affected mentally in one way or another in this specific situation.

“I knew it would eventually happen,” Bell said.

Anger was also a prevalent emotion found through all of this.

“If the administration is actively pursuing an effort of non-disclosure concerning this recent outbreak, that’s a hazard in and of itself,” Wentling said, “I understand maintaining the individuals’ privacy, but we must know when and how an outbreak has occurred to effectively mitigate any further spread.”

Future plans for what is going to happen are in the works now.

“This is going to be the year of improvisation,” Wilson said.