Texas high school football kicked off in the COVID-19 era. Here’s what a game was like.
Thirty minutes before kickoff at Alvarado High School, a man’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker to share the formalities that get said before every game. He reminded fans the football would be played by UIL rules and to be friendly to the visitors, from Graham High School (Graham wasn’t so friendly, at least in terms of the final score. Ryan Grimsley returned the opening kickoff for a touchdown, and the team never relented, winning 50-14). Then he paused. Here came the unusual part: “All spectators are required to maintain six feet in distance between groups and wear a face covering at all times.”
It was an acknowledgment of the obvious. This was Texas high school football, a cherished tradition since the early 20th century, played during an exceptional time. When Alvarado and Graham met Friday night, along with hundreds of other schools in the 4A classifications and lower, they did so in an environment unlike anything Texas high school football fans have ever experienced.
Almost every part of the stadium featured a reminder of The Way We Live Now. Alvarado drill-teamers wore matching plastic face-guards you’d normally see in a dentist’s office. The entrance on the home side featured a sign detailing COVID-19 symptoms. It was next to another sign telling people to mask up to “Let ‘em play all season.”
Being outside, even on a 100-degree day, set many fans’ concerns at ease. Dale Betty, who was wearing a purple Alvarado High School t-shirt, noted that it felt good to be in the open air. He was there to see his grandson, Alvarado’s Will Labermeier. Betty, who played high school football growing up in Canyon, has experienced the sport for decades. He thought Friday night felt “restricted” but safe.
“I’m just glad we’re here,” he said.
Being able to obtain a ticket in a socially distanced stadium — limited to half the capacity — was something to be grateful about. For Argyle High School’s Friday opener, tickets went on sale Monday for varsity players, cheerleaders, drill team members and seniors in the band. Most of the rest of the student population got to purchase tickets by Wednesday. On Thursday, tickets were supposed to be available for the general public online, but the Argyle website showed that they had sold out. There was nearly as much demand for the Alvarado game. By Friday afternoon, tickets on the home side could no longer be purchased online.
One of the first people in the stadium was Ty Means. He plays on the eighth grade football team at Alvarado Junior High School. He and his teammates had just wrapped up practice, and he’d beaten almost all of them to the varsity game. Means plays fullback and defensive tackle and hoped to study his high school peers who play the same positions.
Earlier this summer, Means didn’t think he’d be playing or watching football this fall. “It’s a sign of relief to be able to do something I love,” he said.
Speaking with Means, I thought about a well-worn mantra of Texas high school football. I covered high school sports full-time for the Dallas Morning News after I graduated college, and coaches, teachers and administrators, no matter the district, often told me that football had a momentous effect on everything else. Basically, if a high school had a successful season, the rest of the school year tended to follow on the same path. Somehow, winter and spring sports seasons would be better. Student behavior would be better. Test scores would be better.
I suspect that mantra has a whole new meaning this year. In a pandemic, high school football going well means high school football continues to happen every Friday night. And if football continues to happen every Friday night, perhaps it will be a sign that, eventually, everything else will, too.
This story was originally published August 29, 2020 at 5:59 AM.
