High School Football Coaches Try to Keep Season Going During COVID-19 Postponements

High school football season has seen multiple cancellations and postponements of games because of COVID-19 concerns, but North Texas high school coaches are doing their best to keep the season going.

“I think it’s all about balance,” said Denton Guyer high school football coach Rodney Webb. “We have to have a healthy respect for this virus and our ability to spread it, even though it’s not really affecting our young people. But at the same time, we have to have some sense of normalcy. And let’s be honest, Friday night lights in Texas is part of our culture, it’s part of the fabric of who we are.”

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High school football is part of the fabric of North Texas, and its season is now facing multiple challenges because of COVID-19. Our partners at the Dallas Morning News report 15 Dallas area games have been canceled or postponed this weekend, many because of COVID-19, which has forced high school programs to scramble to reschedule games and to emphasize preparation for just about anything.

“We always have contingency plans, it’s just this year your contingency plans are a lot more extensive,” said Denton Ryan high school football coach Dave Henigan. “Whether it’s who is the substitute head coach if something happens? Who is the substitute play-caller if something happens? Who is the next quarterback? Do you have an emergency quarterback if you lose all your quarterbacks? Things like that that you don’t normally have to go quite as deep, we are going deeper this year.”

Going deeper this year, and willing to do what it takes to give students the chance to play the game they love – even if there are some delays and challenges along the way.

“I think it’s important that we do our best to create as normal an environment for our kids and our communities as we possibly can,” Webb said. “We’ve got to fight the good fight.”