BREAKING: This week's ACA-St. James game moved to Sept. 25 due to COVID

By TIM GAYLE

Alabama Christian Academy’s game with St. James has been postponed until Sept. 25 as the Eagles deal with coronavirus issues that have forced several players to self-quarantine.

The issue caused a ripple through the Capital City Conference as the Eagles scrambled to reschedule instead of forfeiting the region opener. That, in turn, forced St. James coach Jimmy Perry to move a Sept. 25 game with Trinity to an open date on Oct. 30 to keep ACA from losing its Oct. 29 game with MA in Week 10 or Trinity from losing its game with St. James in Week 5.

“With this COVID stuff, and even without it, this game was meant to be settled on the field, not due to somebody’s bad luck,” Perry said. “The kids worked too hard to have this game taken away, so any chance we have to play, we need to play.

“Hopefully, everybody will be healthy on Week 5 so we can get this region game in. This way, nobody is missing an opportunity to play. That’s the beauty of it. Everybody did what they could to help each other out. That’s the kind of folks they are.”

ACA coach Nate Sanford confirmed that one of his players had tested positive for COVID-19 and several others had to self-quarantine for 14 days.

“The guidance that just came out from the Department of Public Health dramatically changed the dynamics of the reality of having school and having athletics,” he said. Previously, you could be within six feet if you were wearing a mask or avoided being within six feet for more than 15 consecutive minutes. After last Tuesday’s ADPH guideline change, the rule is to avoid being within six feet for 15 cumulative minutes in a 24-hour period, regardless of the mask.

“That’s a dramatically different standard and the one we’re complying with,” Sanford said. “It’s a game changer. We’re required by the protocols to quarantine whoever (the infected person) has had any contact with and according to the new rules, that’s a much bigger circle of people.”

Sanford said the infected player did not acquire the illness from the season opening contest with Trinity. 

“Thankfully, it doesn’t involve any other teams,” he said.

Sanford added that all players will be cleared to play in the Sept. 11 home game with Booker T. Washington. 

To this point, seven River Region teams have picked up wins by forfeit in the first two weeks as 14 games were affected in Week Zero and 22 games were canceled in Week One, but the stakes are greater beginning this Friday as teams open region play.

Forfeiting Friday’s game never seemed to enter the minds of either Sanford or Perry.

“That’s the whole point of what everybody is trying to do, which is to be at school and be together, be able to play athletics,” Sanford said. “I think the last thing on Jimmy Perry’s mind is we’re happy to take a forfeit, we don’t have to play. In that scenario, why are we even doing this? But, yes, it speaks to the fraternity and the humanity of all of us wanting this to work out. COVID is not going to have the final word over us.”

Both teams had to change their focus as they embark on a week of practice with no game on Friday night.

“I’d rather play, but this gives us an opportunity to work more young people in positions,” Perry said. “We’re still kind of feeling our way, personnel wise. We’ll practice some people at different positions this week to see if it can’t fortify us on both sides of the ball where maybe we won’t need to play so many both ways.”

Sanford will be forced to rely on younger players as some of the older players are among the quarantined group.

“We have reimagined practice,” he said. “My staff and I met for several hours (on Sunday) afternoon and we came up with creative ways that we have not seen anyone do. The old emphasis was on the masks and distancing was important but it wasn’t the standard. Now, the new standard is the six-foot distance. We’ve got 100 percent buy-in from our kids. It’s not going to be an issue, it’s simply going to be a new way to do things.”

Trinity coach Granger Shook, meanwhile, had to deal with moving his Week 5 game with St. James while continuing to prepare for Friday’s home opener with region rival Goshen.

“That’s what it’s about, trying to make sure all these kids get all 10 games this year,” Shook said. “That’s what Jimmy and I talked about, just trying to work together because it is for all these kids.”

One of the most intense rivalries in central Alabama will now move from the middle of the season to the week prior to the start of the football playoffs.

“It’s a double-edged sword,” Shook said. “You either had 10 games straight, which is hard to do, or you’ve got a good break midway through and a hard, emotional game right before the first round. There are pros and cons to both. But everything happens for a reason.”

“That’s OK,” Perry said. “This COVID stuff has put a monkey wrench into things for everybody. It’s all about providing these kids with a positive experience playing football, so it doesn’t make any difference when we’re playing, the difference is do we get to play?”

Sanford, meanwhile, said the experience was an eye opener for everyone on the ACA campus.

“We are laser focused at ACA on mitigating the negative effects that this has caused,” he said. “We’re going above and beyond what is being asked because this is what humans need. We need to be together, kids need to be in school, kids need to play sports, parents need to be able to watch their kids do activities. That’s human nature. And we’re going to prevail.”