File photo/Fort Mill Sun)

Friday night’s game between Catawba Ridge High School and Ardrey Kell High School has been cancelled.

A school district press release explains why:

FORT MILL, SC — Catawba Ridge High School has canceled tonight’s varsity football game scheduled against Ardrey Kell High School. The school received information regarding a few confirmed cases of Hand, Foot and Mouth Disease (HFMD) among the varsity football team.

HFMD is a common childhood illness which is usually not serious, and nearly all people recover in 7 to 10 days without medical treatment. It can be transmitted through direct contact and as an extra precaution tonight’s varsity football game has been cancelled.

Our district has been in contact with the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control regarding the protocols for dealing with HFMD. Maintenance and support staff will be sanitizing locker room areas and sporting equipment along with bathrooms and desks throughout the school. While HFMD does not pose a significant health risk, we want to be proactive in containing the possible spread of the illness.

Greg "Ricky Bobby" Rickabaugh has lived in the Fort Mill and York County community since 2006. He has covered the area while a reporter for The Charlotte Observer and a freelance writer for The Fort Mill...