Navarre game back on for Enterprise

Originally scheduled to play Aug. 21, the Cats were put off by a week when a team from south Florida couldn’t make the trip due to COVID-19.

The season kicks off next Friday at home against the Carver Wolverines from Montgomery.

Enterprise finalized its schedule when it was announced the Navarre (Fla.) game is back on for Oct. 30. The game was in doubt as the state of Florida delayed the start of its fall sports seasons due to the pandemic.

The Wildcats’ 10-game season includes Carver on Aug. 28; at Dothan on Sept. 4; Davidson at home on Sept. 11; at Central-Phenix City on Sept. 18; Early County (Ga.) at home on Sept. 25; Prattville at home on Oct. 2; Smiths Station at home on Oct. 9; at Jeff Davis in Montgomery Oct. 16; home against Auburn on Oct. 23; and at Navarre on Oct. 30.

Enterprise High head coach Rick Darlington is as ready as anyone to get the season started. He also knows how tenuous it can be.

Within the last week one positive test at New Brockton forced that program to quarantine and miss its first two games. The same thing happened to Dothan High after a positive test shut down that program for two games.

“Job 1 is to stay healthy and avoid the COVID,” Darlington said after Wednesday’s practice.

The coach detailed the steps his program has taken to avoid the virus as he talked about protocols that have been implemented.

“When they come in to weight class, football class during the day, we take their temperature. If they’re over 100.4, they don’t come in,” the coach said, adding that even the layout of the locker room has been evaluated.

“The locker room is set up offense, open locker, defense, open locker offense, open locker … An offensive player would have eight feet minimum between another offensive player. They come in in shifts that way. The offense might come in first after school, defense comes in second.

“Around the field we’ve got dots. If they’re not in, they’re on a dot, so we’re socially distanced all the time. We wear masks in the building. When they’re lifting and they spot, they have a mask on.”

And the crush after practice? That’s managed, too – and there is no crush.

“They come in in shifts after practice,” Darlington said. “The guys that don’t shower have got 10 minutes to get out, then the shower guys come in. Freshmen are never in there when the varsity is. Our locker room is always one-third of capacity so, again, everyone can stay socially distant.

“I hate to have to do all that stuff, but the No. 1 priority is not to get people sick so we can have a season.”

In short, the Wildcats are doing everything they know to do – above and beyond basic requirements. Of course, New Brockton and Dothan felt great about their virus mitigation protocols, too.

Just like anything in sports, you might need a little luck on your side, too.