CLEVES, Ohio — Saturday's Division IV, Region 16 football quarterfinal with Taylor at Wyoming has been canceled.
The decision to cancel the game is related to COVID-19 at Taylor, according to athletic director Larry Herges.
Wyoming (6-0 entering this week) will advance to play St. Paris Graham or Eaton in a regional semifinal Oct. 24. The Cowboys, who haven't played since Oct. 2, are idle this weekend.
Herges informed Wyoming athletic director Jan Wilking Wednesday afternoon that Taylor would not be able to participate in Saturday's playoff game after a decision from the health department.
"I'm at a loss for words," Herges said Wednesday night. "We're doing everything we can every day to try to make sure to keep our kids out on the field. The only sense of normalcy is when they're in between the lines of a playing field or a court. When these kids step off of it, we're living in the twilight zone."
The two Cincinnati Hills League teams met Oct. 2 at Taylor in a regular season game Wyoming won 49-0.
Taylor (3-4) defeated visiting Springfield Northwestern 49-6 Oct. 10 for the program's first playoff win, according to Herges.
The Taylor team was ecstatic with the victory and had a significant sense of accomplishment.
Taylor will have to wait two weeks for its next scheduled game which will be a regular-season matchup.
"I feel for the kids because the kids have worked so hard," Herges said. "They do everything we ask them to do. Social distance and six feet apart - the whole nine yards."
Herges said the Taylor football team won't be able to play Hughes next week as previously scheduled. But, the plan is to play at Harrison during Week 10.
Ohio high school football teams are permitted to play regular season games until Nov. 14 if they opt-out or are eliminated in the postseason.
"Our kids are resilient," Herges said. "They're going to bounce back."
