The high school football season is still intact, but it will take two extra weeks to get there.
The Georgia High School Association’s Board of Trustees convened Monday and unanimously approved the vote to postpone the football season by two weeks. The regular season is now slated to begin Sept. 4.
Most football teams around the state continued conditioning Monday with the addition of helmets. The change came as the Gilmer High School Bobcats remained sidelined.
All fall conditioning at GHS was halted last Tuesday as a precautionary measure following the recent spike in confirmed COVID-19 (coronavirus) cases in the county.
During a Monday afternoon interview, GHS athletic director Matt Johnson said, “We all have our concerns, but at this point it’s bought us two weeks to see where the numbers go. At GHS, we’ve taken every precaution and have gone above and beyond the guidelines to try and protect our kids and coaches.”
Additionally, 13 GHS athletes were quarantined for 14 days after indicating they attended the same public event where others later tested positive for the virus.
GHS cross-country, cheerleading and volleyball resumed practice Monday, and softball is set to return Wednesday, according to Johnson.
Freshman football players will be permitted to take the field Wednesday as well, and the remainder of the football team is tentatively scheduled to return to practice next Monday, July 27.
“I hope the time we took off will prove to be positive,” Johnson said.
Football coach Kevin Saunders noted the predicament has been frustrating but they have to make the best of the situation.
“The kids have been very frustrated,” he said. “If you have someone who tests positive then you have a group of kids who are supposed to be quarantined. That’s coming from the health department; that’s not from the school system or the coaches. That’s frustrating for them because some of them have to work and they’re teenagers who sometimes don’t want to be at home. It makes it hard on everybody, but it is what it is.
“We’re going to get back next Monday and just do what we gotta do. With the season being pushed back two weeks, we’ll have our first scrimmage the 21st and our second scrimmage the 28th, and we’ll open the season Sept. 4 at Pickens. So everything stays the same as far as that is considered.”
Per GHSA guidelines, all football helmets must be sanitized before and after each practice. The acclimation period for football teams begins next Monday. Each player must go through conditioning practices wearing a helmet prior to the first official day of practice, which is set for Aug. 1.
GHS is tentatively scheduled to scrimmage St. Francis Aug. 21. The Southeast Whitfield Raiders are set to come to town the following Friday, Aug. 28. Both scrimmages will be at Huff-Mosley Memorial Stadium with kickoffs set for 7:30 p.m.
No decision had been made as of press deadline in regard to allowing spectators in the stadium.