Practices begin for fall sports at Cedartown, Rockmart
rules. Cedartown and Rockmart’s first games will be held in the Rome area for the Model Blue Devil Tournament on Aug. 7 and 8 against other area teams.
Aug. 7 is also the earliest date that Volleyball games can kick off, which Cedartown and Rockmart have traditionally begun on that Friday as well in the Darlington Battle of the Counties tournament, this year scheduled for Aug. 7 and 8. No officials schedules had yet been posted by either school for softball or volleyball.
The month will also include the kickoff of the cross country season, which can begin meets on Aug. 10. Neither school had their official schedules yet. Look in the Aug. 5 edition of the Standard Journal for more on those three sports.
Competition cheerleading’s season doesn’t traditionally get underway until September with the first events for Cedartown and Rockmart High Schools. No schedules were yet available for either school online as of press time.
Two teams that will be ready and have dates set for their kickoff are Cedartown and Rockmart football teams, who are traveling for their first games of the season at the end of the month.
Rockmart will host Armuchee on Aug. 14 for a scrimmage game against the Indians at the Rock, set to start at 7:30 p.m.
Following that, the Jackets will kick off their season on the road against the North Murray Mountaineers on Aug. 28, set to start at 7:30 p.m. in Murray County. Games against Sonoraville, Coosa and Bremen will follow in September before the Jackets have their first off date.
The Bulldogs, on the other hand, do not have a scrimmage on their schedule for 2015, and will start their season on Aug. 28 on the road against Hiram. Following that, in September, the Bulldogs will host Northwest Whitfield and Bowdon, then travel to Heard and Fayette counties to round out the month before their first off day on Oct. 2.
Bulldogs and Jackets were already on the field for football conditioning over the weekend starting on July 25 and through the week as part of the leadup to football season.
Those worried about youth practicing in the summer heat of August should be aware of the GHSA’s policy on practicing in the heat. According to the document online at GHSA. net, athletes can only be on the field if the thermometer is 82 degrees and below or up to 92 degrees out-
It’s that time of year again, when fall sports are about to kick off their seasons, and practices begin for the Bulldogs and Yellow Jackets in football, cheerleading, cross country, softball and volleyball.
Cedartown and Rockmart teams are able to officially get their practice sessions underway on Aug. 1 for the coming season, which will begin with the first round of softball games that can start on Aug. 7 according to Georgia High School Athletics Association ( GHSA)
side. Between 82 degrees and 86.9 Farenheit, coaches are allowed to use their discretion on how long players can be out in the heat.
Between 87 and 89 degrees, maximum practice time is two hours outdoors, and football players are restricted to helmet, shoulder pads and shorts during practice.
Between 90 and 92 degrees, practice time is only allowed to go on for an hour outdoors, with 20-minute rest breaks required to be distributed through the hour of practice time.
After 92 degrees, no outdoor workouts are allowed at all, and any school violating any of the policies can be fined a minimum of $500 and maximum of $1,000.
More about the heat and humidity policies can be found at ghsa.net/ sites/ default/ files/ documents/ sports- medicine/ HeatPolicy2013.pdf.