Football Finds a New Normal at Boca Ciega By Ryan McGahan
BOCA CIEGA HIGH SCHOOL
It’s Thursday afternoon at Boca Ciega High School, where the Pirates are having their last practice before their game against Hollins High School. They’re already guaranteed a spot in the playoffs, but a win on the 30th would puts them in line to be district champions. It’s the last week of October and still 86 degrees out, making the track around the field smell like burnt rubber. One of the coaches keeps energy high with a speaker blasting Migos, Future and a lot of Drake.
Things are surprisingly normal for a team experiencing its first season since the COVID-19 outbreak – a fact that can make it harder for sports programs to keep their students safe. “At the beginning of the year, it was like a three-headed monster,â€? says Max Smith, Boca Ciega’s head football coach. “You had COVID, you had heat and you had lightning. Two of them don’t want you outside‌ and the third head, COVID, doesn’t want you inside.â€?
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