Big Timber-Fairfield football game canceled due to COVID-19 concerns

BILLINGS — COVID-19 has caused Big Timber to cancel Friday's nonconference Class B football game at Fairfield, adding to a long list of cancellations.

Someone at Sweet Grass County High School tested positive for the disease caused by the novel coronavirus, and some of the football players were identified as close contacts and have to quarantine, according to Big Timber football coach JV Moody. While it isn't clear if any football player has contracted COVID-19, school administrators and Moody "didn't want to take a chance," he said.

"It would be kind of silly to put 40 kids on a bus if we’re still worried about incubation period," Moody told The Billings Gazette and 406mtsports.com. "We would rather be wrong and overly cautious than be wrong and get somebody sick."

Because it's a nonconference game, Big Timber and Fairfield don't plan to reschedule it, Moody said. Moody expects his team to be ready for next week's game at Manhattan, barring more issues.

"We just hope to get through the dang season," Moody said.

This is one of at least eight Montana high school football games this weekend that have been canceled because of COVID-19. The others: Belgrade at Great Falls, Lewistown at Sidney, Glendive at Billings Central, Red Lodge at Poplar, Browning at Dillon, Cut Bank at Wolf Point, Big Timber at Fairfield and and Anaconda at Missoula Loyola.

Big Timber is 2-2 and has earned two straight wins. Fairfield, the No. 1 team in the 406mtsports.com Class B rankings (Manhattan is No. 2), has won all three of its contests and is scheduled to host Harlem next Friday.

"I’m super disappointed," Moody said. "We wanted to play Fairfield. They’re the No. 1 team in the state, a class act program."

Montana reported 360 new cases of COVID-19 on Friday, the state's second highest daily total behind Thursday's 429.