My seven-year-old is excited to dress up like a rock star tomorrow for his school’s pep rally. This morning, as I ordered him over and over to get ready for school, he described the outfit he planned to wear. Bless him – he is a little over-the-top. (I have no idea where he gets that.)
So far, private schools have had two regular season football games. I have yet to see a game in person, with Governor Reeves’s two-person per participant rule in order due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but I have enjoyed watching clips broadcast on social media. Our newspapers’ sports guys are also doing a fantastic job providing in-depth coverage and great photos of our local high school games so far this season.
With school starting and high school football highlighting Friday nights again, it feels like things are getting back to normal in some way. Even with the masks and social distancing, life is no longer in a standstill as we wait for some relief from the pandemic.
Monday, Reeves changed his order from only allowing two spectators per participant into the stands to 25 percent capacity. This will make things so much easier, especially for those multiple children families and the grandparents who are missing out watching their favorite players.
I expect there to be people camped out in line long before the ticket booths opens to get their spot in the bleachers. For months, we worried that schools would not open this fall, but here we are with schools in session and the excitement of Friday night football brewing throughout the community.
I love football. My husband and I spend most of the fall watching college football on television or people talking about college football on television. Things were tense for a while as we waited for the Southeastern Conference to announce its plans for football this fall.
If college football was canceled, my husband, a rapid Mississippi State fan, might sink into a depression, or head into the woods to hunt for deer and not come out until Christmas. The neighbors would definitely think we moved when Saturday afternoons come and go without slamming doors and temper tantrums from Keith.
We are one of those “house-divided” places, with me cheering on my beloved Rebels and Keith online shopping for a Landshark voodoo doll. Our son Dean took after his momma, and the two of us are usually closed up in a room by ourselves to cheer on Ole Miss.
This year, with both Mississippi State and Ole Miss having new coaches, there is some renewed excitement in our house as we patiently wait for September 29. Ole Miss will take on Florida in Oxford, and Mississippi State will play LSU in Baton Rouge. Well, if the pandemic doesn’t force a forfeit for one or the other.
Wednesday, I read about the Ole Miss secondary being plagued by COVID-19. Coach Lane Kiffin told reporters Tuesday that several players had tested positive for coronavirus, and he is substituting players to fill the vacancies. The University of Auburn football team is also having difficulties with nearly 20 players testing positive, according to an ESPN report earlier this week.
We are all just waiting to see what tomorrow or next week or next month will bring. But for the time being, those of us in Carroll and Montgomery counties are going to cheer on our Rebels, Jaguars, Tigers, and Stars.
And in the Ferguson house, we are planning a tribute to the punk rock legends, the Ramones, on Rock-N-Roll Friday for the pep rally. Dean will be sporting hair gel, Chucks, and an inflatable electric guitar as he cheers on his team.
It’s fall, y’all! Happy game day!
