Uintah postpones football game amid flu outbreak

For the second time in three weeks a flu scare at a Utah high school has led to the cancellation of a varsity high school football game.

Tonight's Spanish Fork at Uintah game has been postponed because roughly 80 percent of Uintah's varsity players have experienced flu-like symptoms this week. The Region 8 game will be made up on Oct. 15.

"It was a hard decision and it was probably why we held out late last night," said Uintah principal Julie Wilde who officially postponed the game at 9 p.m. on Thursday.

The administrators waited as long as possible to postpone the game in hopes the sickness would be on the decline, but Wilde said the opposite is happening..

Wilde said 144 students called in sick on Tuesday, 190 on Wednesday and 245 on Thursday at a school with an enrollment of 1,140.

"In the end the welfare of our team and any team that comes here needs to be the No. 1 priority," said Uintah coach Doug Harding, who said he hasn't gotten sick yet.

Before officially postponing the varsity game, Thursday's junior varsity and sophomore games were also postponed out of precaution.

Wilde said all practices for other Uintah sports teams are cancelled through the weekend, and Harding said he's encouraging his players to quarantine themselves at home this weekend to watch some football.

"We're at the tail end of it now, but it's a nasty flu, fever cough that lasts for five days," said Harding.

Two weeks ago Layton Christian cancelled its home game with Gunnison because of a sickness outbreak.

E-mail: jedward@desnews.com