DeKalb Co Football Heartbroken Over Season-Ending Quarantine
Photo by Kailee Means
On Oct.16, the DeKalb County Tigers were on top of the world, or at least the top of Region 3-4A.
They had just defeated Macon County in Lafayette 24-20 to lock up the region crown with two more weeks in the regular season and things were looking great.
That is, until they weren’t.
It was announced on Tuesday night that a positive Covid-19 test occurred within the program and because of this, not only did it mean a forfeit to Cumberland County; it also meant that the Tigers would have to forfeit their playoff game on Nov. 6.
Just like that, it was over.
“Disbelief,” Head Coach Steve Trapp said of his initial reaction. “It’s always been hanging in the back of my mind … I’ve described it as having a great day of practice, and then going home and staring at your phone, hoping it doesn’t ring.”
It was a year to remember for the Tigers. After a 1-3 start, Trapp and company didn’t stray away from how they played or operated and instead righted the ship to a five-game winning streak. Even though it’s not the ending they wanted, Trapp has made it known that his team is thankful for the season they had.
“We’re grateful for what we got,” Trapp said. “We didn’t know what this season was going to hold or if we were even going to have one. I remember telling the guys the week of June 1 that if we only get one practice, we’re going to be grateful for it … Some teams haven’t even played at all.”
When something like this happens, it would be easy to understand an athlete’s disappointment and frustration. Instead of saying it wasn’t fair or complaining, every DeKalb County player handled themselves with extreme grace and maturity on social media when discussing their thoughts over the news.
Whether it was Desmond Nokes showing appreciation for his time as a Tiger, or Evan Jones reminding everyone to not take anything for granted, Trapp says he’s proud of how his team has handled the heart-breaking news.
“We don’t talk to them about winning and losing football games; we talk to them about having a fervent attitude and using the football field as a platform,” Trapp said. “I’m extremely proud of these guys. It was hard for me to break that message to them last night.”
The sour ending doesn’t diminish the historic season this program had, and Trapp hopes that after the players have time to take in the news, they have an appreciation for all they did accomplish.
“They definitely should,” Trapp said. “The majority of the time, if you win the last game you play, usually you’re a champion … the last time this team played, they walked off as champions. Not State Champions, but it was the first time DeKalb County has accomplished a region championship, so we want these guys and this community to be proud of that.”
“As their head coach, I definitely am proud of that.”
