ROANOKE, Va – The kickoff for the high school football season is right around the corner.
Having fall sports happen during the winter is something Roanoke City Schools Athletic Director FL Slough could never have imagined, but he said his players and coaches are making the most of it.
“They’ve come in here in a tough situation, and they have had to step up and do something totally different than what the normal season is like,” said Slough.
Roanoke City and Alleghany Health District Director Dr. Cynthia Morrow said her staff has been meeting with superintendents each week to make sure mitigation strategies are in place to keep players safe.
“It is critically important that everyone continues to follow the community mitigation strategies, the last thing we want to happen is to see a reversal in this downward trend,” Morrow said.
During practice on Friday, Patrick Henry players prepared for their home opener Monday night.
This season, the players will be wearing face shields inside their helmets to lower the risk of spread COVID-19.
“So we’ve had to implement a lot of mitigation strategies that wear masks, social distancing, washing hands and monitoring what we’re doing,” Slough said.
After a year of sacrifices and changes from their students during the pandemic, school division leaders say they are looking forward to giving their students a chance to play, even though it will be unlike any season before.