Mount Carmel’s football team practiced Saturday, plans to play Week 1on March 6, 2021 at 6:16 pm

Mount Carmel’s football team, which was told on Wednesday that it wouldn’t be allowed to practice until March 15, was back at practice on Saturday and plans to play its Week 1 game against Montini.

“No football player was involved in the case at Mount Carmel this week,” Mount Carmel Athletic Director Dan LaCount said in an email. “Under the guidance of our team physician, our varsity and freshman practiced today safely in cohorts or pods.”

Multiple sources confirmed that Mount Carmel president Edward Hughes emailed the school’s faculty and staff Wednesday, saying the campus and all sports are shut down until March 15.

According to the email, Mount Carmel was on remote learning last week after a student tested positive for COVID-19. The school returned to in-person learning this week, but then another student tested positive.

That put an immediate end to the basketball season and appeared to signal the Caravan’s football team, the defending Class 7A state champions, would miss Week 1 of the football season and may have missed Week 2.

Mount Carmel’s basketball team finished the season with a 4-4 record after losing to DePaul Prep on Wednesday. The football team is scheduled to open the season March 19 at Montini and then travel to Loyola on March 27.

Illinois High School Association rules require 12 practice days (Sundays not included) to play a game.

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