The virus spread like wildfire through North Texas, shutting down schools, sickening whole football rosters and wiping out entire schedules for several teams.

A description of the current pandemic of H1N1, or swine flu? Nope ... all of this happened in 1957.

But it could happen this year if the current pandemic worsens.

The 1957 football season began in early September with Sherman and Denison hoping to unseat Wichita Falls atop District 7-4A; Bonham looking to repeat its 13-2A championship; and Ladonia, the forerunner to today's Fannindel, loaded for another run atop 11-B.

But it didn't take long for thoughts to turn away from Chevrolet V8s and the latest Elvis Presley record and toward the epidemic sweeping the nation.

The Asian flu outbreak caused about 70,000 deaths in the United States and around 2 million worldwide. It was first identified in the Far East in February of that year and quietly spread to the U.S., where it exploded in the fall once schools reopened.

By Sept. 20, the virus had begun to appear in North Texas, and by mid-October, it was widespread.

In Texomaland, a total of 37 football games were either canceled, rescheduled or forfeited because of the epidemic. Bells was forced to cancel its final five games of the season; Honey Grove lost two games and Gainesville one; and six-man schools Blue Ridge, Sadler and Westminster were forced to cut their seasons short.

Could the same thing happen with today's swine flu pandemic?

Larger populations in today's schools and greater participation in sports could increase the likelihood of spread, but also could mean more able-bodied players available, which would decrease the likelihood of cancelations.

This year so far, Collinsville canceled classes for two days in early October, but did not interrupt its varsity sports schedule. Likewise, Trenton and Honey Grove recently canceled classes, but both also continued their sports activities.

Sherman coach Gary Kinne had a scare with sickness last week when several Bearcat coaches, including Kinne himself, came down with a stomach virus. But the virus did not spread to the players, and the coaches who came down with it recovered quickly.

Kinne admits the team should do more to help stop the spread of germs and said once it starts spreading, there's little that can be done to stop it.

"I know several colleges have missed time (because of sickness)," Kinne said. "Florida and Texas Tech all had guys missing."