EASTHAM — High school football will be played in Massachusetts this year. The Mass. Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) voted on Jan. 29 to adopt sport-specific modifications to the “Fall II” season, which is to begin on Monday, Feb. 22 and run through Sunday, April 25.
Nauset Regional High School will participate in football, indoor track, volleyball, and cheerleading in its Fall II season.
MIAA guidelines for football are similar to those for other sports. Players must wear masks at all times, both on the field and on the sideline. Rosters may not exceed 45 players and six coaches on the sideline. Everyone must stay six feet apart.
Social distancing must be maintained during huddles, but full-contact game play will be the same as it has always been. Coaches may conduct full-contact drills for a maximum of 30 minutes per week (45 minutes during a week without a scheduled game), according to MIAA rules.
Nauset is looking to build off its first home playoff win in school history last season.
“I’m very proud of what the kids did last year,” Head Coach Bruce Strunk said during the off-season. “We cleared a hurdle.”
The Warriors saw nine seniors graduate last year, including quarterback Bobby Joy. Strunk said he was excited to get the kids back on the field and get the younger players ready for the modified season.
Meanwhile, Nauset has been forced to postpone and reschedule a number of hockey and basketball games due to weather and Covid-19 protocols. Boys basketball and girls ice hockey each had three games in a row postponed.
But girls basketball remained undefeated at 6-0 after surviving a game against the Falmouth Clippers, who were also undefeated going into the game.
The Warriors led for most of the way before Falmouth pulled within five points at 43-38 with only 1:57 left in the game. Nauset held on for a 46-39 victory, led by the senior trio of Avery Burns (17 points), Ashley Ross (14 points), and Makayla Hutchinson (10 points).
Warriors Watch
Thursday, Feb. 4
Boys and girls swimming: The Nauset swimmers will participate in a virtual meet against Martha’s Vineyard beginning at 4 p.m.
Girls ice hockey: The Furies, with skaters from Nauset, Monomoy, and Cape Cod Tech, are scheduled to host a game against the Sandwich Blue Knights at Charles Moore Arena in Orleans at 5 p.m.
Saturday, Feb. 6
Girls swimming: Nauset will compete in a dive meet at Percy Walker Pool in Duxbury beginning at 11 a.m.
Girls ice hockey: The Furies will take on the Nantucket Whalers at Charles Moore Arena at 4 p.m.
Boys ice hockey: The Warriors travel to Tony Kent Arena in South Dennis to face off against the Monomoy Sharks at 7:15 p.m.
Monday, Feb. 8
Boys basketball: The Sandwich Blue Knights (4-0) come to Eastham to play the Warriors (3-1) at 5 p.m.
Tuesday, Feb. 9
Girls basketball: The Warriors (6-0) host a game against Martha’s Vineyard (1-3) at 3:45 p.m.
Wednesday, Feb. 10
Boys basketball: The Martha’s Vineyard Vineyarders will play the Warriors in Eastham at 3:45 p.m.
Girls ice hockey: The Furies host the Vineyarders at Charles Moore Arena at 4 p.m.
Boys ice hockey: The Warriors host the Falmouth Clippers at Charles Moore Arena at 7:30 p.m.
Fans can livestream or watch recordings of the games on the Nauset Athletics channel on YouTube. —Ryan Fitzgerald
