Bow’s football game against Lebanon on Saturday has been canceled, athletic director Michael Desilets said in an email Friday afternoon.
The school has seen an increase in COVID-related issues – both cases and contact – during the past week, with several cases on Falcons football team, according to Desilets.
“We don’t want to impact other players or another team,” he added. “It was the right decision.”
Both Bow and Lebanon have been in contact with the New Hampshire Interscholastic Athletic Association throughout Friday afternoon to determine if and when the game will be rescheduled. A decision has not yet been made.
The Falcons (1-3) are now faced with their second cancelation of the year and their first because of COVID. Their first game against against Hillsboro-Deering High School was called off after the sudden death of junior Nick Ouellette in a car crash.
Before the fall season started, there were no formal guidelines set for how to deal with cancelations because of COVID and they would be a case-by-case issue.
Bow’s next scheduled game is October 16 when it hosts Hollis-Brookline.
Lebanon was forced to drop out of the state tournament last year after defeating Bow in the quarterfinals and learning one of the Bow players was COVID positive.