It’s over hard. Arrive at week 1 of arizona High School football season.
Now, another challenge awaits us: how to finish a changed season in the pandemic year, anything that will mark the 2020 season.
If players and coaches are not yet emotionally worn out on the spring and summer COVID-19 roller coaster, they will have to be as productive as possible in the face of a virus that threatens to destroy groups for two weeks in a row.
Ask Scottsdale Chaparral, Gilbert Arete Prep, and Cave Creek Cactus Shadows, all of whom had to cancel their COVID case openings this week.
Chaparral learned Wednesday night that he had to be free for 14 days, cancelling Scottsdale Saguaro’s long-awaited showdown and a game the following week because one player tested positive for the virus, reducing his season from 8 changed games to a maximum of six or even five.
Arete Prep is over 40 years old on the day the high school season officially begins on Thursday, but has had to cancel his opening game opposed to Heritage Academy-Laveen.
San Tan Combs had to place an update team on the fly this week after the school’s 50 football players at Cave Creek Cactus Shadows had to start at 40 because two players tested positive for coronavirus. Sierra Vista Buena came here to update and for Combs for Friday’s opening match.
It doesn’t matter if you only have two days to prepare for each other.
It’s about surviving a delayed season until October 2 for the state’s top schools.
When the virus hit in March, it radically replaced the history of autumn football. Prior to the pandemic, the realignment of the Arizona Interscolar Association league, through the sale of a convention founded on the last 3 years of success, was the main problem.
Then it became: “Would the AIA have autumn football?”
“It was like an endless summer, but other than that, the boys showed up when we could and painted,” said Gilbert Mesquite coach Scott Hare, whose 4A championship protective team stayed at 4A, while Scottsdale Saguaro, Catholic Tucson Salpointe and Goodyear Desert Edge leveled up. “The hardest component without knowing if all the paintings the boys were making would be successful with the opportunity to play.
“It’s a little stressful not to know if we can lose players, coaches for a few weeks or if a game might have to be canceled due to a positive test. There are a lot of prep paints in football for coaches and players,” he added. Hare.
“It’s one of the few sports where we play 4 times more than we play. At the end of the day, we come to exercise every day and prepare to improve. I’m not going to worry too much about things that under my control. The boys are definitely in a position to play a football game. “
It’s not like NFL or elementary school football, where tests are conducted for players and coaches.
It is up to all concerned to be held accountable, to assume the duty to stay away from the virus by constantly washing hands, disinfection and distance, but no one will stay two metres away from anyone in a football match.
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So a shooting is appropriate, and the AIA has controlled to recruit enough schools to play the most precarious season in the history of football from Arizona’s best schools.
“Really, all I can tell our team is this ‘Face the Giants’ story, where the pastor was talking to the head coach and he said, ‘Two farmers prayed for rain,’ Gilbert Highland Brock Farrel said. So who thought it was going to rain?
“So I said we were preparing our apartment to be in position for the rainy season. “
Some districts were luckier than others because “community spread” was the motto of summer.
Most schools in the Tucson area, as well as the Tolleson and Phoenix Union districts, were not in a position to continue with the AIA fall football calendar, which has dated back to this week since its inception in the third week of August. It would be week 7 if the pandemic hadn’t wreaked havoc.
“I’m not going to lie, it’s the scariest roller coaster I’ve ever seen,” said Marcus Carter of Desert Edge, who runs one of the most productive systems with his double brother Mark, after leaving Phoenix South Mountain. “With all the uncertainty, emotionally, physically and spiritually it is exhausting.
“We are glad that everyone involved has done their part to get us to this point. The AIA, the Sports Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) have done their best to help us get to the box and we are grateful. I’m sure a lot of seniors do too. They have no other chance as coaches have. “
It is wonderful for all the players to have this season. Not for recruitment. Most older people close their soccer careers e-book one last time.
There is no spring football. The virus has prevailed, now there is the possibility to play.
“It was definitely at a time when recruiters came to look at us and we lost him,” said Peoria Centennial supporter/main runner Tage Rigby. “For some, it’s over with recruitment.
“But not having football and thinking about your long-term career and not having to see what you can do hurts. But overall, we still did what we could and improved. I don’t think there has been a genuine decline. “
Anxiety has turned into anger for some, but now it has been mitigated with the ability to play.
It even made some scrums treat each other as if it were the first game of the season. No one needs to take a game, knowing it may be the last.
It’s time to seize this opportunity.
Players feel fortunate to be able to start now with the West Coast states of California, Oregon and Washington, moving football through January and beyond.
“Honestly, I’m excited, we have football,” said Mesa Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock. “I found myself trapped and pierced by injuries, ploys, parents.
“Just to laugh and be grateful to play a game that I don’t think happened. “
For concepts of articles of human interest and other news, contact Obert at richard. obert@arizonarepublic. com or 602-316-8827. Follow him on Twitter @azc_obert.
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