Six teams have lost Friday night playoff games this week due to coronavirus epidemics. This effectively ended their season. Lafayette County coach Michael Fair said, “It’s just not supposed to be that way.” Fair was referring to his team which was due to face Neshoba Central in Friday’s Class 5A playoff match. Fair told his team that football’s season was supposed to end on the field, as they gathered for practice Tuesday afternoon. According to the Mississippi State Department of Health guidelines, three or more positive COVID-19 test results are considered an outbreak and require quarantining for 14 day. Fair had three players test positive for COVID-19 on Saturday, Monday and Tuesday. That was it. Fair, a former Mississippi State offensive line star, said that it was “one of the most difficult things I’ve ever done.” There were many tears. My seniors, many of whom are now retired, I feel for them. But I also feel for our players. It’s like you work so hard for something, and then it just ends like this.” Lafayette County’s season began under terrible circumstances. On Aug. 6, Nacoma James, longtime Lafayette assistant coach, and the team’s special-teams coordinator, succumbed to COVID-19. He was 42. Fair stated that Coach James was a beloved figure among our players. Fair said that Coach James wore a bowtie to school every Wednesday. We put a bowtie decal on our helmets this year to remember him. Our kids were truly inspired by him. Football teams are like a close-knit family, and it was hard to lose a loved one. This made us all feel closer and makes it even harder to see it through the end.” Lafayette County is not the only high school in mourning this week. Other schools in the state were affected by the same fate. McAdams, located near Kosiusko, Attala County, lost its Class 1A game with Lumberton. Three of the eight scheduled playoffs games in Class 4A were cancelled by COVID-19. McComb was forfeited by Mendenhall. Sumrall forfeited Lawrence County. Clarksdale was forfeited by Itawamba Agricultural. Brookhaven forfeited to Pascagoula, cancelling another 5A playoff game. All of this happened Wednesday afternoon. There could be more before Friday’s scheduled kickoffs. Last week, Puckett lost to Bogue Chitto 2A and Shannon to West Lauderdale 4A. It is not surprising that Mississippi’s pandemic numbers are on the rise. For the first time in three weeks, Mississippi’s daily average COVID-19 case count has surpassed 900. There were 1,256 new cases reported on Tuesday and 17 deaths. Just over 100 games were forfeited by the MHSAA during the 10-game regular-season. Nearly twenty-six teams, including all Jackson Public Schools, chose not to play this season. Many teams suffered severe losses before the regular season ended. Take Starkville (6A), for instance. For much of the season, Coach Chris Jones’ Yellowjackets were the top team in the state. They finished 5-0 and were ranked No. Before COVID-19, they were ranked No. 1 in the state. Starkville was unable to play for 21 days, and only practiced for two weeks because of COVID. The Yellowjackets lost three consecutive games and finished the season with a record of 5-3 (including one forfeited defeat) and were out of the playoffs. Jones stated, “It’s been a difficult year for everyone. Some of it is things that you don’t even consider.” “Because COVID, it was not possible to get the summer work that we are used to. My conditioning was not what it should have, and I’ve heard many coaches agree. We were as shaken by injuries as COVID. Then, in October, it struck us and we were forced to quarantine. We couldn’t even practice. It’s almost like you are starting again, and you must play a team such as Clinton, which was very hot at that time. It is hard to accept that there are no excuses. “We weren’t ready.” Jones was first to reach out Lafayette County Fair when he learned that Lafayette had to forfeit Friday’s playoff game. Jones stated, “I understand how it feels when it is out of your control.” Jones said, “It is just sad.” Mississippi’s public school teams are still competing and are aiming for championship weekend at Mississippi Veterans Memorial Stadium in Jackson Dec. 4-5.