Austin Danforth

Free Press Staff Writer

An outbreak of hand, foot and mouth disease at North Country Union High School has led to the cancellation of Friday night's Division II football game between the Newport school and Burr and Burton Academy, according to athletic directors from both schools.

According to an email from Sean Farrell, the VIFL scheduler, the game between the Bulldogs and North Country has been cancelled with no possible reschedule date.

"After reviewing this situation with Bob Hingston, VIFL Executive Secretary, and Bob Johnson, Associate Executive Director of the VPA, it has been determined that this game will be viewed as a non-game when evaluating their records for the postseason," Farrell said in the e-mail.

As of Thursday evening, more than half of the Falcons' football team was displaying symptoms, he said. North Country also cancelled the boys and girls soccer games which were to be played on Friday.

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Beginning around 2 p.m. Thursday, several football players arrived at the nurse's office with symptoms of the disease — flu-like symptoms, throat pain, red spots on their hands. Six players were confirmed cases, while 20 or 21 "could go either way," Dinzeo said.

Friday's game was supposed to be the Bulldogs' home opener in Manchester.

Falcons coach Tim Simoneau said the junior varsity played earlier in the week and that the opponent, Missisquoi, has been notified to check for symptoms.

"We had some kids showing some flu-like symptoms so we went with an easier practice," Simoneau said of his team's activity on Wednesday. "Then the athletic trainer today was meeting with some of the kids and when they started telling her certain symptoms they understood what it was."

"We were looking forward to playing Burr and Burton because I think we match up pretty well with them from what I saw on film," Simoneau said.

A similar situation occurred at Burr and Burton in 2009 during the week of a game at U-32, according to coach Jason Thomas and AD Kathi Bierwirth.

A rapidly-spreading case of swine flu at the Manchester campus affected more than 300 students and led to an average of more than 150 absences per day from Monday through Wednesday, Thomas said. School was canceled Thursday and Friday of the same week, but the Bulldogs managed to take 19 players to the game that week's game in East Montpelier.

Contact Austin Danforth at 651-4851 or edanforth@freepressmedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter.com/eadanforth