This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Carlsbad Cavemen sports will continue as scheduled even as high school and intermediary school students were ordered to return to remote learning.
The Carlsbad Municipal School District (CMS) announced that Carlsbad High School and Carlsbad Intermediate School-P.R. Leyva campus would not have in-person learning for 10 days starting Aug. 16. Superintendent Dr. Gerry Washburn said closing the schools allowed the district to keep activities and sports active.
“It gives us the ability to stop the rapid response counts counting against us. When you get that 4th rapid response, your in person learning and everything shuts down,” Washburn said. “At that point, you can’t have any practices, you can’t have any gains, you can’t have anything and we did not want to get in that situation.”
Washburn said the district is closely adhering to COVID-19 safe practices and doing everything it can to ensure athletes could continue practicing.
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The Cavegirls and Cavemen varsity soccer teams are scheduled to play at Ralph Bowyer Stadium Aug. 17.
The Carlsbad Cavemen football team is scheduled to meet the Artesia Bulldogs at 7 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20 at Ralph Bowyer Stadium to kick off the Cavemen season with the annual Eddy County War.
Masks are required at both indoor and outdoor events. The state Public Education Department (DEP) Tool Kit states athletes can remove masks while playing or competing outdoors.
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“Coaches are making decisions on an individual level whether kids should be wearing masks,” Washburn said. “Obviously, if you are a cross country runner and you’re running, you can maintain distance and there’s not any reason for you to be wearing a mask.”
Claudia Silva is a reporter from the UNM ocal Reporting Fellowship. She can be reached at csilva2@currentargus.com, by phone at 575-628-5506 or on Twitter @thewatchpup.