Several Wall High School football players come down with stomach virus

WALL TOWNSHIP — It started out with a week one dominating performance Friday night for the Wall High School football team over Lakewood but ended with half of the players coming down with a sickness over the weekend.

The Wall High School athletic area had to be sanitized and tests performed over the weekend after several members of the team came down with a stomach virus and experienced intense nausea vomiting and diarrhea.

School officials sent a letter home to the parents of Wall High School students letting them know about the athletes who were battling the virus.

Wall Township Public Schools Athletic Director Tom Ridoux tells WOBM News Wednesday morning that, "I only know of one varsity football player that is sick today. Most of the players who had it (the stomach virus) came down with symptoms over the weekend and were back in school on Monday."

The stomach bug looks to have plagued several members of other teams as well but it wasn't a case of any mold or bacteria being found in the drinking fountains or locker-room area.

After all the cleaning and tests were done over the weekend, Wall Township Schools Superintendent Cheryl Dyer said it was "just a virus".

The letter was signed by Ridoux, who provided us with a copy, and said administrators  don't know the exact strain of the virus.

Dear Parents/Guardians,

This weekend we were informed by coaches and parents regarding a stomach illness that has impacted many of our student athletes. Close to half of the members of the Varsity Football team have experienced these symptoms of intense nausea vomiting and diarrhea. Several athletes from other sports have experienced them as well. While we don't know the exact strain or sources of this stomach illness, we do want you to know about the ways we are working to help mitigate the spread of the illness. This weekend we brought our custodial crew to sanitize all of the athletic areas with hospital grade disinfectants. We have also sanitized all water bottles and coolers and are disinfecting the ice machine to the specifications given to us by health officials. Officials from the water company came out today and tested to make sure that all of our water sources are clean. Today, Mr. Brendan McDermott, our Athletic Trainer, is also meeting with the coaches and the football players that are in school and will go over hygiene information that is key in avoiding the spread of illness such as: 

• Proper use of water bottles
• Proper hand washing
• Proper wiping down of equipment and pads

Sincerely, 

Mr. Thomas E. Ridoux

Athletic Director

It's unclear how much practice the players who experienced the stomach bug missed or if it will affect their playing status for this Friday night's game at Jackson Memorial.

Listen to the game, which is the  Jersey Mike's Game of the Week on 92.7 WOBM and watch at shoresportsnetwork.com.

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