Football trips by Hawaii pylon players to Nevada and Utah have led to multiple cases of COVID-19 on Oahu and Maui, according to the Department of Education.
Pylon football is the seven-on-seven, no pads form of the game, and the trips were not school-sanctioned, although many of the players who flew to the mainland for the tournaments attend public high schools in Hawaii.
In a letter to students’ parents, the DOE’s Central Oahu complex area superintendent Robert Davis, advises students and parents who attended the Pylon Mecca 7v7 football tournament to quarantine for at least 10 days from the date of their return and to get tested.
But Davis also reminds people that a negative test does not mean it’s safe to return to school.
A photo of athletes playing 7v7 pyon football. (Image credit: Franchise Sports Media).
“Returning travelers should try to isolate themselves from other family household members,” Davis wrote in the letter. “We will continue to monitor the situation for any potential impact to our campuses and will provide an update as soon as possible, if needed.”
Davis also directs anyone with questions or concerns to speak to a health-care provider or the Department of Health by going to health.hawaii.gov/docd/contact-us.
A team of Kahuku players called the Rebel Squad went to the mainland and compiled a 16-0 record in winning two national tournaments, including the Pylon Mecca 7v7 championship in Mesquite, Nev., according to a KHON2 story: 7v7 Pylon Football Team Made Up of Kahuku Players Win National Championship.
Rebel Squad also won the PullUp tournament in Utah, according to an April 26 Hawaii Prep World story: Rebel Squad Of Kahuku Captures Pylon 7v7 National Title.
A handful of other teams from Hawaii played in the national pylon tournaments.
There has been no high school football in Hawaii since the 2019 season because of the health crisis caused by the pandemic.
—
ALSO AT BedrockSportsHawaii.com: Kamehameha Awarded No. 1 Seed In ILH Baseball Tournament
—
