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BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Caston (1-0, 0-0 Hoosier North) at North Judson (1-0, 1-0), 7:30 p.m.
If Caston is to start a season 2-0 for the first time since 2009 and if they are to beat North Judson for the first time ever, they will have to do it without their coach on the sideline.
Coach Will Porter told RTC Wednesday that he has tested positive for the coronavirus and will not coach against the conference and sectional rival Blue Jays Friday because he is being quarantined.
Defensive coordinator Chris Ulerick will be the acting coach in Porter’s absence.
Porter said he was fully vaccinated before testing positive. He said he is “doing alright,” and he believes that being vaccinated before testing positive means his symptoms are not as severe.
He said he has been communicating virtually with the coaching staff in preparing for the game.
“It just felt like a normal sickness to me, but my wife wanted me to get tested just to make sure, and it came back positive, so we’re going through steps to keep everybody safe,” Porter said.
He said that there are “a couple” players sitting out due to contact tracing, but he said the reat of the team will be “ready to go.”
North Judson is coming off a shutout win over Culver last week while Caston rolled up a 52-6 win over West Central. The 52 points were the most Caston has scored in a game since a 53-13 win over Triton in August 1998.
“He’s a pretty strong kid and definitely somebody that we’re going to have to contend with,” Porter said of Brennen Benson, North Judson’s 300-pound behemoth lineman. “Their defense, obviously, overall is pretty physical and aggressive. Culver runs a pretty disciplined attack with their powers and traps, and they were able to withstand the strength of Culver and be more physical than them and stop them from moving the ball.”
