Football Season Opens Tonight with Challenges

The 2020 High School football season kicks off tonight amid challenges related to Covid-19.

The Stephens County Indians are on the road at White County and will play their home opener next week when they host North Hall. We asked Stephens County School System Superintendent Dr. Daniel Oldham how the schools are preparing. “The GHSA has come out with some guidance and guidelines. All of the things they are putting out is just that. They are saying these are some things you can do and some suggestions. I know that superintendents around the state are taking that guidance and trying to see how it will affect local sports and how we operate. Is the stadium or field set up differently? We have to try and make those guidelines fit our circumstance. We are working with those. At this time we have had our volleyball and softball seasons and they seem to be going well.”

The pandemic has already had an effect on the season with nine schools in the state deciding to cancel Fall sports, and nearly sixty others starting later. Locally, Elbert County canceled the scheduled game for tonight with Hart County, and East Jackson has canceled their first two games.

Some of the GHSA guidelines for fan attendance include:

GHSA member schools should follow the guidance of local, state, and federal recommendations as it pertains to spectator events and stadium capacity restrictions if such information becomes available.

It is highly recommended that spectators have their temperature assessed prior to entering the competition venue and should be denied entry if higher than 100.4 degrees.

It is highly recommended that spectators always wear a facemask/covering possible.

Spectators should be restricted from direct competition areas and from visiting with student athletes and personnel before, during and after events.

Spectators should always practice social distancing whenever possible. Household members are excluded.

Local school administrators, in consultation with local health departments, should determine whether “to-go” meals for their student-athletes in individualized, single packaged containers should be permitted.

Oldham says there could be changes during the season.“We are just constantly in contact with GHSA. Anytime they send out guidelines, we are mulling through them and deciding exactly what we are going to do and how we are going to do it. As soon as we have anything to add we will push it out to the community so they can help us to stay within the guidelines spelled out for us.”

For more information on the guidelines set forth by the Georgia High School Association for in the stands and on the field visit www.ghsa.net.