GREEN BAY (NBC26) -- — It was the first August in more than 30 years without football for Tom Neuman, Head Football Coach for Denmark High School.
“I’ve been waiting and waiting and chomping at the bit," said Neuman. "It was a tough august.”
Friday night was the first night of high school football games in Northeast Wisconsin, and the season is already off to an unpredictable start -- with some schools canceling games due to COVID-19 concerns. Two teams, West De Pere and Hortonville, got matched up a day before the big night when both teams' original opponents canceled.
But Denmark High still played Wrightstown, and it's just what the kids needed right now, said Steve Klister, coach for the Wrighstown football team.
“I think it’ll be good for the kids to get out on the field and really kind of forget about some of the other things that are going on and hopefully just have a good football game and have fun out there," said Klister.
There are a few new rules for playing this year: only two passes for each student, usually for mom and dad. The only people allowed on the field are players, coaches and refs. There are no handshakes or entering the fields together; the teams will stay separated, until the actual plays.
“At least when we get out to practice that’s one of the things that are maybe as normal as it can be at this time," said Klister.
But the teams still playing this season will have to see if socially-distanced football actually works, said Anna Destree, Brown County Health Officer.
“It’s going to be our guidance over and over again," said Destree. "Can we socially distance? If we can’t socially distance for a period of time, then we’re engaging at a risk behavior.”
But without that typical Friday night football field, it's going to feel like a very different sport this year.
“Our student section is always very ruckus and rowdy and they know when to cheer and when to be quiet so the kids are going to miss that," said Neuman.
