Football season is officially on the rise! On October 28, the official link for the livestream home games was released. Due to the COVID pandemic, mandatory restrictions have been placed on the viewer and safety admissions. The cheer-filled atmosphere, cheers roaring for teams, and the tension of competition make football season one of the most awaited moments of the year. However, with the uprising of the virus, football fans are actively anxious about how the pandemic will impact the long-awaited season.

  The most important priority is on behalf of the players and students. In order to ensure the safety of the athletes, many crucial safety precautions are put in place. According to sophomore Luca Mancini, “For practice, we come with masks around our necks, and line up next to cones that are 6 feet apart. After that, we get asked a couple questions like if we had recently lost our sense of taste/smell. Then, they would take our heart rates and temperatures. If we were fine, then we were free to practice as long as we stayed 6 feet apart and wore a mask while in non-physical activity.” With these mandatory precautions, the Pines Charter Jaguars were up and ready for the upcoming season. 

  However, due to a sudden safety concern, the first home game of the season was unfortunately cancelled on behalf of the risk for student safety. “During the game it was going to be live-streamed so we didn’t have to worry about the fans being too close. Only 2 parent admission passes were handed out, and the stands were marked to space out the parents. On the sideline, we have our masks to wear when we’re not in play. We stay as spaced out as we can,” says senior Vincent Mansfield. Even with the implementation of so many precautions, safety concerns are still possible, which is why it’s important to always keep the well-being of the public at hand. “Yeah, it’s been tough trying to stay social with my friends, but overall we know the bigger issue is at stake. We all need to make sure we keep each other safe, because that’s what matters in the end,” says Malik James. 

  Hopefully, as safety precautions are kept on a tight string, the Pines Charter Jaguars will finally be able to attend the first home game of the season.