Rick Patrick
rick@greenepublishing.com
During the regular meeting of the Madison County District School Board on Monday, Aug. 3, the board voted to approve a plan for opening Boot Hill Stadium for the upcoming high school football season. Exactly when that season will begin is still up in the air.
In July, the Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) pushed the beginning of the football season back to the week of Monday, Aug. 24. According to that starting date and the planned Madison County High School (MCHS) Cowboy football schedule, the first game for the Cowboys would have taken place on Friday, Aug. 28. The game scheduled for that night was a home game against the Tigers of Jefferson Somerset Academy, from Monticello, Fla. MCHS Head Football Coach Mike Coe addressed the board telling them of a plan proposed by the FHSAA Football Advisory Committee, of which Coach Coe is a member. According to Coach Coe, the committee is asking for a start date of Friday, Sept. 11. The committee is also asking to have a scrimmage or some sort of pre-season game on Friday, Sept. 4, in order to work through the new game protocols that will be in place this season. FHSAA Board of Directors is expected to make a final decision regarding the opening of football season by Friday, Aug. 14.
When games do resume at Boot Hill Stadium, fans can expect some major changes. The largest change will come in the number of fans allowed into the stadium. Normally, Boot Hill Stadium holds a maximum of 3,500 fans. In order to facilitate the necessary social distancing, a maximum of 1,650 fans will be allowed into the stadium for football games. This will include 200 tickets for the visiting team, 200 tickets for MCHS students, 400 general admission tickets, 30 tickets for staff, 200 tickets for Marshal Club boosters and 620 tickets for the families of football players, coaches, cheerleaders and band members (six tickets per student and coach).
General admission tickets will be on sale at ACE Hardware in Madison for $7 each, from Monday through Friday at 12 p.m. on game days. MCHS students may purchase their tickets during lunch from Monday through Wednesday at a price of $5 each. If the allotment of student tickets is not sold, those tickets will be released for general admission. There will be no charge for parking at the stadium.
In order to lessen crowding at the gates, all students will enter through the double gate located next to the field house. This will allow them to be closer to their designated seating area and help keep the general admission area from backing up. Marshal Club members and general admission ticket holders will enter through the main double-gate near the north end-zone. All player, band and cheerleader family ticket holders will enter through the smaller gate nearest the restrooms. Those ticket holders will form a line down the fence to ensure social distancing.
Staff working in the concession stands will be required to wear a face mask and gloves. Hand sanitizer will be available for customers. Those customers wanting only drinks will be able to purchase those at a separate booth, away from the concession stands.
Restrooms will remain stocked with soap and paper towels. There will be a custodian on duty who will deep clean the restrooms at the beginning of each quarter and at the end of the game.
The band will be seated in a separate set of bleachers near the football field house.
Teams will not conduct post-game handshakes.
No family, friends or spectators will be allowed on the field or in the football field house grassy area during post-game. This is to ensure the safety and health of the coaches and student-athletes.
All fans will be expected to leave the stadium immediately upon the conclusion of the contest. There will be no congregating in the parking lots allowed after the game.
For junior varsity games, tickets will be sold one hour prior to kickoff. There will still be a maximum of 1,650 spectators allowed. The same safety procedures will be followed as the varsity home games.
For the junior varsity and varsity volleyball matches, there will be a total of 230 spectators allowed in the gymnasium. The visiting team will be allotted 50 tickets, there will be 50 student tickets, 100 family and general admission tickets and 30 staff tickets. Tickets will go on sale one hour before the junior varsity game begins.
Any fans wishing to attend away games should contact the host school well before the date of the game for information on that school's procedures.