The details are still being finalized, but it appears that Friday night lights in 2020 can be seen live at home.
Amid concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic, the University Interscholastic League — the state’s governing body of public high school athletics — is finalizing plans and procedures to allow high school football games on Friday nights to be shown live in the fall, and area coaches are all for the idea.
From the time his hometown doctor began taking him to Ownby Stadium and the Cotton Bowl as a youngster to watch SMU heroes such as Doak Walker and Kyle Rote, Jack Gunlock knew he wanted to play for the Mustangs.
Questions shaped by a perspective-altering pandemic hovered for three long, sometimes unnerving months.
Athletic directors, coaches and players wondered when they might be able to practice together again and how it would all work.
WACO — The 45-minute drive from Gatesville to Waco Vanguard was all too familiar for Sydney Mundkowsky. As she walked into Vanguard’s athletic complex Saturday and warmed up for the match that was soon to take place, the 6-foot-2 Gatesville product felt as though her high school volleyball journey was coming full circle.
The No. 22 that most football fans across Texas and perhaps the nation were focused on during the fall seasons of 1992 and 1993 was worn by future Dallas Cowboys Hall of Famer Emmitt Smith.
BELTON — Three months after they had their senior seasons taken from them by an invisible yet potent force out of their control, Rogers’ Trevor Glaser and Troy’s Kyle Torres were serendipitously reunited on the diamond Friday afternoon.
BELTON — It didn’t quite make up for her lost senior season, but for Salado’s Erin Faske, Thursday afternoon was a nice consolation prize for a spring that turned out to be anything but normal.
After Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Wednesday announced Phase 3 of his plan to reopen the state during the coronavirus pandemic, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of Texas officials said they were informed that they can indeed host a pair of Victory Bowl games today and Friday.
In order to comply as rigidly as possible to local and state coronavirus precautions and protocols while ensuring the utmost safety for participants, Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of Texas officials Tuesday tweaked the delivery of this year’s remaining Victory Bowl events — softball, baseball and volleyball — to practice-only formats.
Play ball!
In a careful, clean and safe manner, of course.
Fellowship of Christian Athletes Heart of Texas officials said Friday they’ve secured host venues for the upcoming Super Centex Victory Bowl baseball, softball and volleyball contests, the final pieces necessary to hold the annual exhibitions that this year will represent locally a return of organized competition after nearly three months because of the coronavirus.
Guidelines are stringent, restrictions are in place, and proper hygiene and social distancing are still recommended as the COVID-19 pandemic lingers. But the sounds of practicing student-athletes could again echo from local fields and gyms soon.
When determining the area’s most golden era of high school baseball, it would be tough to beat the past decade.
If he could, Temple football head coach Scott Stewart would love to be on the field right now.
For one, he misses his Wildcats and he’s been separated from people he considers extended family members since March. Second, he knows what he and his players are missing out on with spring practice nixed because of the coronavirus.
It’s the gridiron vs. the diamond. Texas’ most popular sport vs. America’s pastime.
