THE WAITING GAME
Alonzo Brown had mixed emotions whenever he scrolled through his social media accounts during the spring.
Brown, a senior receiver at Eisenhower High School in Rialto, was happy to see his close friends posting photos and videos from their high school football practices and games. That excitement often morphed into frustration, however, as Brown knew he and his teammates would not be able to share similar moments.
More than a dozen high school football teams in the Inland area did not play games in the spring because of health and safety concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic. For some programs like Eisenhower, it was because their school districts did not authorize athletic teams to resume until the football season already had come to a close. For others like Perris High School, it was because participation numbers had plummeted.
These programs now are preparing to return to action after spending the better part of two years away from the football field.
The Rialto Unified School District did not approve the return of athletics for its three high schools — Eisenhower, Carter and Rialto — until the week of April 19, a few days after the CIF Southern Section’s end date for the spring football season. Brown was overcome with emotion when the Eisenhower football team met in person for the first time in more than a year to begin conditioning and preparation for the 2021 season.
“It really felt like a piece of my soul had returned,” Brown said about seeing his teammates in person at that first workout. “I felt alive being able to play football again. It was something we have waited on for so long.”
Perris was the only comprehensive public school in Riverside County
Perris High lineman Robert Barrios skips with a smile on his face to his next drill, thrilled to be back on the field. Perris is able to practice and play football games again after coronavirus pandemic issues prevented it from doing so in the spring.
that did not play football games in the spring. The Panthers received district approval to play, but certain logistics, like transportation to and from practices, led to the program having only about 14 players available for the spring season.
“I’m a football guy and a former coach of this program, so that definitely was a decision I did not want to have to make,” Perris athletic director Ken Cohen said of calling off the season.
“Friday nights and high school football is one of the greatest things in the country. We wanted to play but couldn’t do it with those numbers.”
Perris senior quarterback Michael DePaul is
excited to be back on the field with friends and teammates.
“Football is something I love and am really passionate about,” DePaul said. “You never know how much you miss something until it’s gone, and that was a rough feeling to go through. We are going to do our best to make the most of this opportunity we have again. The whole team is looking forward to playing this season.”
John DePaul, a senior running back and defensive lineman, echoed those comments from his cousin.
“Football has always been a getaway for me from all of the problems in the world,” John DePaul said. “It was difficult seeing everyone else doing
something you love and not being able to do that yourself. We all love playing football, which is why everyone was smiling and upbeat when we were back together again.”
Some of the programs that did not play during the spring season saw a handful of underclassmen transfer to other schools. That has not been the case at Eisenhower, however, as many top players decided to stay.
“Eisenhower is my home, and this is my family,” senior running back and linebacker Isaiah Simmons said. “I learned how to play football here and I have learned life lessons here. This is the place where I want to be.
“It’s been a long journey,
all that time waiting and not knowing when you’re going to get to play again. All you can really do is be patient. We have that chance to play again, and we’re all excited to get out there and play.”
Eisenhower coach Al Brown said he had other coaching opportunities but decided to stay with the program.
“These kids have shown us so much loyalty, so how dare I not show them the same in return,” Brown said.
The expectations for the teams returning after a long absence will vary.
Eisenhower won a CIF Southern Section championship in 2018, and Brown expects his team to be competing for titles in 2021.
“The first goal is city champs, then league champs, then CIF champs and so on,” Brown said. “One of the mottos we have here is no excuses. So, we didn’t get to play in the spring. Well that is in the past. What are we going to do now to get this program to where we want to be? That is the challenge for us and our players.”
Perris has about 60 players out for football this season, and first-year coach Paul Martin is looking forward to establishing a new culture for the program. The scoreboard will not always reflect the progress that the program is making, Martin said.
“We have to start from ground zero,” Martin said. “And for me, that all begins with their work in the classroom. We need to take care of the student part of student-athlete first, because there is no football without being a good student.
“And then we want to be a team that this school and our community is proud of. There was a time when the atmosphere here on Friday nights was extremely vibrant. We have a chance to make that happen again, and we are going to do everything we possibly can do to make the most of that opportunity.”