Prep football braces for uncertain 2020
Arizona programs deal with delayed season timeline
The spring sports teams went into hurry-up-and-wait mode last spring after two weeks turned into a month that ultimately turned into a lost season because of the coronavirvus pandemic.
Rising positive case numbers in Arizona now have the high school football season in a holding pattern with the first chance at playing a game moving from Aug. 21 to Sept. 11, after the Arizona Interscholastic Association announced Monday that it is delaying official practices until Aug. 17.
That announcement came after Gov. Doug Ducey ordered the closure of bars and gyms and delaying the start of school to Aug. 17.
Teams need more than three weeks to get ready to play a game, so that moves the start of the season to what normally would be Week 4.
Who knows if Aug. 17 gets pushed back even more in a month.
The spring sports teams went through the second half of March on hold, before Ducey eventually called for the closure of school campuses through the end of the school year. That caused the AIA to cancel the baseball, softball, track and field, boys volleyball and sand volleyball seasons. It also canceled spring football in May, so these coaches already know all about having to wait.
So how do high school football coaches console their players through what is now a summer of uncertainty and a season appearing to be in jeopardy?
“I think the most important aspect of leadership is being truthful with the situation,” said Gilbert Mesquite
coach Scott Hare, who led his team to the 4A title last season and returns the state’s top 2021 prospect in quarterback Ty Thompson. “I am telling the players what is going on to the best of my ability.
“What is happening in the state is new for everyone and I do not believe anyone can see the future. At this point we need to prepare and prep for a season. If that season is a full season, cut short or canceled it should not change how we prepare before we know what is going to happen.”
Hare said as he gets new information, he makes adjustments.
“While it is difficult today, we can not let that affect how we prepare for tomorrow. All we know today is the season will not start until Aug. 17th, which is three weeks after our previous start time,” he said. “We have not been told what that does to the rest of the season. The people in charge are holding the appropriate meetings and I think everyone is trying to make the adjustments as we get more information. Whether we agree or disagree with how this is being handled, I believe that the people who are making the decisions such as the AIA, superintendents, principals and ADs care about the kids and everyone wants to try and do what is best for everyone involved.”
Chandler Hamilton coach Mike Zdebski, who had three top players move in from Colorado said he is moving his team back into the online classroom and installation/film starting Wednesday.
He said they will restart camp on July 13 in preparation for the start of official practices Aug. 17.
He said the players will get into the weight room as soon they are allowed to, and “prepare for a September 11th opening game.”
Scottsdale Notre Dame coach George Prelock said that his team will prepare as if things are going on as scheduled.
“Most importantly,” Prelock said, “you want to make sure that you’re checking on athletes and their families during these times. Thankfully, technology allows us to still meet with student-athletes. You want to maintain that family atmosphere, even though we may not be able to get together.”
Chandler coach Rick Garretson, who led his team to a 13-0 record and the state’s first Open Division title in his first year leading the program, worked with his players for three weeks without a football this summer since schools were allowed to return to using their facilities for workouts.
The Wolves were reconditioned on the field, track and weight room. They were going to just take this week off, as they traditionally do every summer. But that will stretch into a second week, through July 12, by the Chandler Unified District’s order.
“We will pick pack up on July 13th unless told differently
Garretson said.
As far as the three-week delay to begin football practices, Garretson is OK with it, if that’s what it takes to have a season.
“We can’t worry about things out of our control,” he said.
“The safety of our players, coaches and families are the No. 1 priority. Our players are reminded to stay safe and stay focused.”
Mesa Desert Ridge coach Jeremy Hathcock is calling the delay, “business as usual.”
“We are used to doing it from home now, so this won’t be a big distraction,” he said.
Scottsdale Saguaro coach Jason Mohns, whose team lost to Chandler 4235 in last year’s Open final, had to wait until June 15 for the Scottsdale Unified School District to begin summer conditioning for teams.
“We just have to follow the protocols put in place by our district and do the very best we can within those guidelines to prepare our players to play football,” Mohns said. “There are so many moving parts right now that we just have to focus on controlling what we can control.”
There is as much if not more concern in northern Arizona, around the Navajo reservation, about even having football in the fall. Ganado two weeks ago decided to cancel all of its fall sports seasons because of the rising COVID-19 numbers.
Holbrook, which is on the edge of the reservation, is hopeful there is a season.
“I’ve told my guys in the event our football season is canceled we will do everything in our power to still be a team in the fall,” Holbrook coach Chris Starkey said. “What this will look like at this point I’m still not sure. In-house competitions, community service, developing of committees, workouts and combines, character meetings, movie nights. Whatever COVID-19 allows.
“We’ve had multiple conversations about this and unfortunately had to have another one at weights this morning. If we don’t play football this season for whatever reason, the season won’t be canceled. We will meet, we will hold events. I will personally spend time with every family in our program. The season won’t just not exist. That is not the Holbrook way that I am trying to create. There will still be positive impacts to make, people to meet, goals to achieve, and a culture to build. I know this is a time of uncertainty, but one thing is for sure, Holbrook football is on the rise.”
Starkey said he is meeting with adminstraters to come up with a plan in light of Ducey’s announcement.
“I said at the beginning of this we needed to be patient,” he said. “The work put forth by my young men the last few weeks has been great but the fact of the matter is that this is ultimately bigger than football . ... We might not have the traditional season we have grown to love but Holbrook football will have a season. Being a football coach to me is so much more than coaching on Friday nights and running practice Monday through Thursday. It is so much more than just making game plans and watching film.”
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