MACON, Ga. — For the first time in 2020, it is game day for Bibb County football teams. Two weeks after the school district placed an indefinite delay on fall sports due to COVID-19 concerns, the order was lifted and sports allowed to resume.
For all involved, the initial August 13 postponement was frustrating.
"I was mad. I was working hard in the offseason and stuff," said senior Central Charger Walter Hawthorne. "Football is just a part of my life and all of us out here. So to take that away was just hard to deal with."
On August 26 came a reversal of fortune. The district lifted its postponement and finally, three weeks later its game week.
"At first we hated it, but when [Coach Rusty Easom] said we're having a season, 'oh yeah, we're ready.' I went from here all the way up here," said Jessie Phelps, a senior Rutland Hurricane.
Teams have been gearing up for the Friday night lights and coaches do not have to remind players that not even one snap can be taken for granted.
"You've got a nine week season, let's try and make the most of it," Rutland football head coach Rusty Easom told his team. "That's only 36 practices. Let's try and get the most out of every practice and the most out of every opponent."
"Day by day, every day is not promised. You have to get up everyday when your feet hit the ground and be thankful for that day and put in a good day of work," said Joaquin Sample, Central football head coach.
Some teams, like Central, have the benefit of playing a team that also is just getting started. The Chargers face fellow Bibb County high school Westside.
"Everybody's kind of behind kind of sloppy. We're going to try to play as clean as possible and hope we can win this football game," said Sample.
Others, like Rutland, face an opponent with game experience under their belt. Luella High School played two games already this season.
"Game speed is a little bit different, you're going to exert a lot more energy. So the one thing that I think is going to help us is the fact that we're not starting game one in the middle of August where it's 95 degrees," Easom said.
Regardless of the challenge, every team in Macon is happy they'll be under the lights on Friday.
Central will play Westside at the Ed Defore Sports Complex. Rutland will be on the road against Luella. Northeast High School will play Therrell at Thompson Stadium.
Howard High will be on the road against Northside High at
Southwest High's first game will be September 25th against Randolph Clay, according to MaxPreps.com.
Bibb County opted for advanced ticketing options like many teams around the state. Friday's Central-Westside and Therrell-Northeast games are sold out. Tickets will not be sold at the gate, according to the county's communications specialist Hannah Jett-Theus.