EWU football coach to miss Idaho game due to positive COVID test

From news services

Idaho and Eastern Washington haven't even opened their belated football seasons yet, and there's already been a casualty.

Eastern Washington confirmed Thursday that head football coach Aaron Best has tested positive for COVID-19 and will miss this Saturday's season-opening game at Idaho. At this time, Best is asymptomatic.

Per Big Sky Conference rules, the entire team and staff are given PCR tests every Wednesday. The most recent test results were received Thursday morning, with Best being the only positive result.

Following institutional and regionally approved contact-tracing protocols for positive tests, it was determined that no other team members or staff needed to be quarantined. The decision to play the football game as scheduled was made during a phone call hosted by the Big Sky Conference featuring medical staff and athletic administrators from both schools. Best will be under quarantine protocols for an undetermined amount of time.

"It is certainly unfortunate not to be able to enjoy this Saturday as an entire EWU football family," Best said. "The team is ready to compete and their preparation to get to this stage has been nothing less than incredible. We will all be back together soon!"

Entering his fourth season as head coach, Best said assistant head coach/defensive coordinator Eti Ena will be acting head coach while Best is in quarantine. Best said the team was told of the situation early Thursday afternoon.

Kickoff for Saturday's game at the Kibbie Dome in Moscow is scheduled for 3 p.m. (SWX).

The teams will be playing for the first time in 462 days — on Nov. 23, 2019, Idaho won 60-53 in overtime at Northern Arizona, and Eastern beat Portland State 53-46.

"I am ver happy for our players," Idaho coach Paul Petrino said. "They've sacrificed so much; I don't think anyone would ever understand how much they've gone through, how much they've had to sacrifice just to be able to play. We've got to keep beating COVID every day. They understand what they missed in the fall, and they'll go out and take full advantage of it, and go play as hard as they can."

The teams met during the 2019 in nonconference play, with Idaho jumping out to a big lead en route to a a 35-27 win over EWU at the Kibbie Dome.

"Two years ago they got after us real good," Petrino said of a 38-14 loss at Cheney. "We won last year; there's definitely a rivalry there. There's no nonconference; it's all conference, so you have to be ready to go from the start. Definitely it adds a lot to the game."

While Eastern returns a preseason All-American candidate at quarterback in Eric Barriere, who took over as starter midway through the 2018 season, Idaho will trot out grad transfer Mike Beaudry at quarterback. One of Idaho's top receivers last year, Cutrell Haywood, returns, as does wideout Hayden Hatten, who shined in brief appearances last year as a freshman.

"He likes to study football; he studies football hard," Petrino said of Beaudry. "One of his biggest strengths is his mind, and his knowledge of the game. He's got a good arm, he can make throws all over the place, and he can run. It helped having all of those practices in the fall and the spring, so I definitely think he's in a good position. I expect him to play well."

Idaho returns a seasoned front seven, including a pair of preseason All-Big Sky linebackers in Tre Walker and Christian Elliss. Charles Akanno returns to the lineup after missing the second half of 2019 with an injury. The defensive line has also healed up during the long stretch off, with Kayode Rufai, Noah Elliss and Cam Townsend returning.

"Offensively, I think we're doing pretty well," Petrino said. "For a couple guys, it'll be their first time out there. Defensively, you've got your whole front seven back, and we feel good about that. And it's good to have Cade (Coffey; a senior punter and place-kicker from Lakeland High) back; he's been doing it for a long time."

With this COVID-delayed fall 2020 season starting in late winter, Idaho caught somewhat of a scheduling break in its six-game regular season. The Vandals will play their first five games indoors, with three in Moscow, and one each at Northern Arizona and Idaho State. The final game of the regular season, on April 10, will be played outdoors at Eastern Washington, but will be played on turf.

Idaho finished 5-7, 3-5 in the Big Sky in 2019.

Eastern enters ranked No. 12 in the nation, according to Stats Perform. EWU finished 7-5 overall, 6-2 in the Big Sky in 2019, but missed the FCS playoffs, one season after playing for the national championship.

Ty Graham, a fifth-year senior linebacker for Eastern, played three seasons at Idaho (2016-18) before transferring. He played at Cheney High.

"Ty did a lot of good things here for us; I really like Ty," Petrino said. "I wish him nothing but the best, but I'm not sure that adds anything more to it. Ty's a great kid; I wish him the best, but not on that day."

Seth Harrison, a sophomore kicker from Coeur d'Alene High, was 12 of 12 on field goals in 2019, receiving honorable mention All-Big Sky Conference honors and earning Freshman All-America accolades.

Harrison was also 50 of 53 on extra points in 2019, having a string of 22-straight makes from Oct. 5 until missing his first attempt at Cal Poly on Nov. 16. He also handled kickoff duties.

The adjusted, abbreviated schedule will not count against the eligibility for all student-athletes.

"Right now, we're just looking at the spring as a season," Petrino said. "It might change the way we look at the summer. It'll probably change how we start back up (for the fall season).