Football, other fall sports are moving forward

After watching much of last week’s KHSAA Board of Control meeting last Tuesday via ZOOM, I have to say, I feel a little better about getting to see some high school fall sports in the next few weeks.

As I noted here last week, that could all change before the first kick-off, depending on how the case count goes in each county, region and across the state.

When the meeting finally ended last week, fans were fairly convinced that at least the KHSAA powers that be are trying to do everything they can, and as safely and cautiously as they can, to get fall sports going at least with a shortened schedule in most cases.

For instance, looking at football this fall, the board reduced the length of the season to nine weeks rather than the traditional 11 weeks, and the playoffs were moved a week later than normal.

Fall practice can begin with helmets only on August 24, with shoulder pads beginning August 31 and in full gear on September 3.

The first game will be held September 11. For our gridiron Dawgs, that sees Clinton County on the road for a season opener at Berea that night, returning home to host Monroe County on September 18, traveling to Metcalfe County on September 25 and hosting Green County on October 2.

After a bye week, we travel three games straight, to Bracken County October 16, to Edmonson County October 23, and finally to Jackson County October 30, before playing our final game of the regular season by hosting McCreary Central on November 6.

Volleyball looks to be on track for getting things rolling this fall as well.

During last week’s Board of Control meeting, they voted to also allow organized practice for volleyball, cross country and soccer to begin on August 24, with seasons set to begin on September 7 for those sports.

Golf, being the sport with the least potential close contact, has already begun holding practice sessions and in fact, the CCHS Golf Dawgs and Lady Dawgs were set to compete in a pre-season scrimmage on Monday of this week.

The Board of Control scheduled a follow-up meeting to be held on Thursday, August 20, in another Zoom format, that gets underway at 9:30 a.m. central time.

This meeting will allow the Board of Control to take one last look at the COVID-19 situation and how many, if any, fall sports teams have been adversely impacted, before those seasons officially kick off this fall.

Hopefully, we’ll see plans for fall sports continue, but we all know this could all go downhill very, very quick.

We’ll just have to wait and see.