photo by: Chance Parker

Free State believes they recovered a fumble Friday night against Mill Valley at MVHS on Oct. 2, 2020.

Several members of Free State High School’s football team have been identified as close contacts to a positive COVID-19 case stemming from an Oct. 2 football game in Johnson County, according to the local health department.

The game took place at Mill Valley High School in Shawnee, and the positive case was not a member of the Free State team, according to a Wednesday news release from Lawrence-Douglas County Public Health. Julie Boyle, spokesperson for Lawrence Public Schools, said it was an individual not affiliated with the team — but who came into close contact with the team during the game — that tested positive.

The Johnson County Department of Health and Environment determined after the interview with the positive case that exposure during the game was isolated to the Free State side, the release stated.

Whereas the health department’s release said “several” members of the Free State team were identified as close contacts, Boyle said the health department notified the FSHS football team as a whole to quarantine through Oct. 15. The team will not practice again until Oct. 16, Boyle said.

Free State’s football team was scheduled to play Odessa High School this Friday and Shawnee Mission East on Thursday, Oct. 15.