Football has a schedule

Halifax County High School football begin practice last week after a year of being stymied due to COVID-19.

Monday and Tuesday were set aside to get players fitted with equipment. Following the VHSL’s Championships + 1 calendar regular season action is scheduled to kick off on Feb. 22.

First year varsity football coach Robert Senseney said initial turnout hadn’t been heavy but he’s hoping that will pick up.

Coomet athletic director Allen Lawter said last week he hoped a prior schedule developed for football would be played out. That would be dependent upon if schools on the schedule are still able to compete at this time.

The football team can schedule up to six games this season in accordance with the Championships + 1 calendar. Football normally plays a minimum of 10 regular season games. All sports this year are limited to 60 percent of their normal scheduled competitions.

Halifax is idle on Feb. 22 but opens regular season on the road to Magna Vista on Feb. 26. Three home games follow on March 5 against Bassett; March 12 against GW-Danville and March 19 with Magna Vista again.

The team completes regular season action on the road. March 26 at Patrick County and April 2 at GW.

The football squad will be following all safety guidelines necessary to limit exposure or transmission of COVID-19.

Until recently football was classified as a high-risk sport. The National Federation of State High Schools Associations (NFHS) is now using another means to quantify the safety of sports instead of low, moderate and high rankings.

The NFHS said in a recent release that determining the safety of a sport for student-athletes, coaches and other participants should rest with the stakeholders involved with that sports program – state and local organizations and leaders making decisions based upon how COVID-19 is effecting their local communities.

Lawter has said the ruling, though welcomed, won’t have much effect on Comet sports due to safety measures currently in place.

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