COVID-19 issues growing as high school football teams try to play games this month

It’s not panic time for high school football, but the number of teams pulling out of season openers Aug. 19 and 20 because of COVID-19 protocols continues to grow.

Santa Ana Mater Dei, Servite and Loyola are all looking for replacement opening games after Corona Centennial, Bishop Amat and Muir had to cancel because they would not have enough required practices completed in time to play games. Servite and Bishop Amat will delay playing each other until week three.

The City Section is in worse shape. Belmont has pulled out of its game with Marshall. Marquez, Bell, L.A. Wilson, Dorsey and Chavez had to pause practices. Carson has been struggling to get enough players cleared to begin practices. Schools are also trying to build up depleted rosters to make it through a 10-game schedule.

It appears it’s going to be touch and go next week to see which teams can play, forcing schools and coaches to bring back the strategy of last spring, when they had to rapidly find replacement games and hope their administration agrees to last-minute replacements.