High school soccer: Park City-Carbon game postponed due to swine flu scare

Even though the Class 3A boys soccer tournament is slated to begin this afternoon, the classification's defending champions won't be allowed to participate in the tournament until at least next Tuesday — and there's a chance they might not be allowed to participate at all.

No. 2-ranked Park City was scheduled to host Carbon this afternoon in a first-round game at Park City High, but that match has been postponed in the aftermath of the Park City School District's decision to close all eight of its schools after it learned that three of its students have possibly been infected with the swine flu.

According to Park City coach Caro Caro, PCSD was going to allow Park City to play its first-round game against Carbon today at Quinn's Junction, which is just east of Park City. However, Carbon High administrators weren't willing to send their players to play at Quinn's Junction, Caro said, and so the Utah High School Activities Association was left to decide the fate of the game.

Bart Thompson of the UHSAA confirmed that it has made the decision to postpone Park City's game for now.

"Park City and Carbon has been postponed until at least Tuesday," said Thompson. "Between now and Tuesday, we should have results of the tests from up there (and) their board of health should be able to make a decision on the best course of action for that district and for that area. And we'll make a decision based on that information when we have it."

The Park City School District has closed all eight of its schools until at least Monday after three students, who had been in Mexico for spring break, were diagnosed with the flu.

According to Caro, test results for those students could come back as early as Friday or as late as Monday.

If any of the three students test positive for the swine flu, it's likely Park City will have to forfeit its first-round game and therefore be out of the tournament.

"If that happens," Caro said of the possibility of a positive test, "I believe that will be the end of the season for us because I don't believe anyone will risk being in contact with Park City students. You wouldn't take the risk to expose your children, and that would be something that I would understand.

"But in the end I'm so disappointed that this has happened to us."

Thompson said the UHSAA doesn't want to "overreact or underreact" and will be in a wait-and-see mode over whether there is indeed a positive test in Park City or whether there are other outbreaks that occur in other places in Utah. At that point, Thompson said the UHSAA would sit down and map out the best course of action.

On the other hand, if none of the three potentially infected students test positive for swine flu, Park City might be allowed to play its first-round game against Carbon next Tuesday, with the winner of that game playing the winner of Ben Lomond and Hurricane in the quarterfinals next Wednesday.

The 3A semifinals and final are scheduled for next Friday and Saturday at Jordan High, meaning Park City would potentially have to play four games in five days to defend its title if the Miners advance that far.

At this point, though, Caro and his players are hoping they'll have the chance to play at all next week.

e-mail: drasmussen@desnew.com.