St. Johns football players were having their team dinner after Thursday’s practice, when coach Mike Morgan got a phone call he wishes he didn’t have to take.

He said Athletic Director David Bradshaw told him the school had to cancel their homecoming football game Friday night against Miami due to exposure from someone who has COVID-19. This would have been St. Johns’ home opener, and it would have come a week after Morgan passed Paul Moro as the state’s all-time wins leader with 337.

The exposure canceled all activities at St. Johns and caused the school to close Friday. A letter from the administration was sent to the community, saying it will have to figure out how to conduct school on Monday.

A week earlier, at Holbrook, St. Johns players were carrying Morgan on their shoulders after he set the state record for most all-time wins.

Going from an emotional high to a low, Morgan called it “devastating.”

“This is worse than crazy,” Morgan said. “Our kids are devastated. They want to play so bad. But it’s not just football. Other teams, too. They canceled soccer. Our girls were playing for the league championship.”

St. Johns’ 8-1 girls soccer team had to cancel its game Thursday night against Lakeside Blue Ridge. It is scheduled to play two more regular-season games (Oct. 27 and Oct. 29).

Morgan said none of his players have symptoms for COVID-19. He said he will see how his team will be able to proceed next week.

Messages from The Arizona Republic were sent to Bradshaw and Principal Roger Heap.

“Our kids are devastated,” Morgan said. “We have kids who didn’t know about it until this morning. I found out about it at 7 o’clock last night after practice was over. We’re feeding kids dinner.

“There was going to be a parade. Kids don’t understand.”

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St. Johns (1-1), a 2A team, will have only played two games entering Week 5 of the Arizona Interscholastic Association football schedule.

It is scheduled to play at Globe on Oct. 30, and at home against Gilbert Arete Prep on Nov. 6 and at home on Nov. 13 against Gilbert San Tan Charter, before the playoffs start.

“We’re down to playing maybe only three games this season,” Morgan said.

St. Johns is the eighth Arizona high school football team this week to have to cancel games due to the coronavirus.

The others are Mesa Desert Ridge, Goodyear Millennium, Buckeye Verrado, Phoenix Arizona Lutheran, Phoenix Barry Goldwater, Wellton Antelope, and Scottsdale Desert Mountain.

Phoenix North Pointe Prep had to cancel its game against Scottsdale Prep, but coach Jason Shaw said that was “due to low numbers caused by injuries.”

“The COVID pandemic has caused us to field about 12-14 players per game,” Shaw added. “We’re estimating our team to be fully healthy for next week vs Veritas, though.”

To suggest human-interest story ideas and other news, reach Obert at [email protected] or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.

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