High School Football Games Kick Off Friday Night Across OKC Metro

As high school football teams take the field Friday evening, crowds in the stands are expected at games across the Oklahoma City metro.

This all comes as COVID-19 continues to menace schools and districts continue to report rising rates of positive COVID cases and exposures in the schools.  

Edmond Santa Fe High School Athletic Director Andrew Rasmussen said masks are welcome but not required at their home game against Owasso Friday night. He didn’t confirm how the district would be handling concessions. 

Moore Public Schools is hosting Edmond Memorial High School. According to spokespeople, they are not allowing people to bring their own drinks into the game, but will be selling bottled drinks and other concessions items. Moore schools is encouraging masking. 

Oklahoma City Public Schools is one of several public school districts with a mask requirement and this also applies at games.

“We’re taking the right steps to make it a protective type of situation for our kids, but I don’t think there are guarantees anywhere when it comes to preventing COVID,” said OKCPS athletic director Todd Dilbreck. 

Even on the sidelines, athletes and coaches are asked to mask up. Only prepackaged food and beverages will be sold at concessions. District spokespeople did not confirm their plans to enforce these rules. 

The Oklahoma Secondary Schools Activities Association, which oversees high school games like the ones being played on Friday, said they are not taking any steps to implement COVID mitigation protocols at their partner schools. 

They are encouraging districts to follow the same precautions as last year, which included encouraging masking at sporting events. 

If positive COVID cases on a team will impact their ability to play this season, OSSAA said they would work with schools to reschedule games.