Mount Carmel president Edward Hughes emailed the school’s faculty and staff on Wednesday night that the campus and all sports are shut down until March 15. Multiple sources confirmed the email was sent last night.
That puts an immediate end to the basketball season and means the Caravan’s football team, the defending Class 7A state champions, will definitely miss Week 1 of the football season and could miss Week 2.
Mount Carmel’s basketball team finishes the season with a 4-4 record. The Caravan lost to DePaul Prep on Wednesday. The football team was scheduled to open the season March 19 at Montini and to travel to Loyola in Week 2 on March 27.
Illinois High School Association rules require 12 practice days (Sundays not included) in order to play a game. That means the Caravan couldn’t play a football game until March 28. It’s possible the school could appeal the rule and receive a waiver to play Week 2 (or the game could be played on that Sunday), but the Week 1 game is unlikely to happen.
According to Hughes’ email, Mount Carmel was on remote learning last week after a positive COVID-19 test of a student. The school returned to in-person learning this week but then another student tested positive for COVID.
“We are on pause right now doing some contact tracing,” Mount Carmel Athletic Director Dan LaCount said.
