Delay of game

Pandemic sidelines Warhorses until February 

Fred McCormick
The Valley Echo
August 21, 2020

Owen High School head football coach Nathan Padgett looks out onto the field at Warhorse Stadium on the day that would have been the start of the 2020 season. The Warhorses will begin their season in February, when high school football resumes in N.C. Photo by Fred McCormick

In an alternate reality, it’s easy to imagine what Warhorse Stadium would be like tonight. Bright lights would shine on the field as optimistic fans made their way through the gates at Owen, where the Warhorses were scheduled to kick off the 2020 season against East Henderson. Head Coach Nathan Padgett would lead his players onto the field just moments before the team would burst through a creatively designed banner, held tightly in place by the cheerleading squad, igniting raucous applause from the home crowd and ushering in the return of an annual fall tradition. 

In actuality, however, this fall will be a quiet one for the Warhorses. 

“It’s pretty sad,” Padgett said Friday morning, as a steady rain drenched the field outside. “We should be playing a football game tonight, but the safety of our players is the number one priority for us, and our leaders at the state and county levels.”

High school athletics in N.C. were not immune to the mass disruptions brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. The N.C. High School Athletic Association announced Aug. 12 that all fall sports would begin no earlier than Sept. 1. Buncombe County extended the dead period for athletic workouts until Sept. 8. Football season was pushed back to February, while volleyball and cross country are set to resume competition this November. 

“We expected the season would be postponed,” said Padgett, who is entering his fifth season as the head coach of the Warhorses. “We’re disappointed that we’re not able to play, but at the same time we understand that this virus is real and it’s very contagious and our players understand the importance of the precautions that are being taken.”

Postponement of season brings uncertainty

Owen players were hopeful they could return to the field this fall when athletes were permitted by the NCHSAA to resume on-campus workouts under special guidelines in mid-June. 

Players were broken into “pods” for workouts that focused primarily on strength training and conditioning and the team was not permitted to use a football during that time and the weight room was closed. On Aug. 3, teams were permitted to allow players to throw the ball to other teammates in their respective pod.

The limited football workouts ceased abruptly when the NCHSAA announced its 2020-21 athletic schedule last week. 

“That announcement came on a Wednesday and we had a workout scheduled for that day,” Padgett said. “As soon as I found out, I contacted our players and let them know what decision had been made. We kept our workout that day, which allowed us to meet with our players and discuss any questions or concerns that they had.”

The meeting provided a sense of closure, even as uncertainty about the upcoming season persists, according to the coach. 

“We’re really in uncharted waters,” he said. “We’re waiting on guidance from the NCHSAA on what we can do next, and of course we’re in a dead period here in Buncombe County until Sept. 8. But, the state is working on how things will look for us in February, and as soon as we hear from them we’ll know how to prepare with workouts leading up to the season.”

Control the controllable

Preparing for a season in flux has been challenging for the Warhorses, but Padgett credits his players for their collective effort. 

“I applaud these guys,” he said. “They came in all summer long and they were committed to working, day in and day out. Knowing in the beginning that we couldn’t even touch a football, they showed up and did everything they could to be ready for the season. 

“These players have been through a lot since March,” Padgett continued. “Normally they’re here, in-person, with us. But, now a lot of the responsibility is falling on them to be able to keep themselves in shape until we resume workouts.”

The coaching staff has encouraged players to focus on conditioning and workouts while away from the team and Padgett remains in regular contact with the team. 

“I care about these guys,” he said. “I want to know how they’re doing, if they need something or if there is anything I can do to help. You never know what a player is facing outside of school or football, so it’s important they know we’re here for them.”

The coach has offered one consistent piece of advice for his players for how to deal with the unprecedented time in which they’re living. 

“The biggest message that I try to send to myself and our players is that we need to control the controllable,” he said. “In this situation, we cannot control how many games we play or when we start the season, but we can control how we prepare ourselves, physically and mentally.”

“We expect to compete for a conference championship”

There was plenty of cause for optimism for the Warhorses at the end of 2019. Owen won three of its final four games of the season, advancing to the second round of the playoffs and securing its first winning record (7-5) since 2014. 

Expectations for 2020 were buoyed by the return of senior quarterback Caleb Scott, running backs Dequan Boyce and Blake Roberts and receiver Shavoy Harding. 

“We are returning several starters on both sides of the ball, and many of those guys are in the skill positions,” Padgett said. “A lot of these players have been on the varsity roster since their sophomore season, so we have a very experienced group.”

A combination of strong team chemistry and work ethic should allow the Warhorses to build on the momentum created by their strong showing a season ago, and make a run in the Western Highlands Conference. 

“We have a lot to look forward to when the season gets underway,” Padgett said. “I feel good about where we are as a team and we expect to compete for a conference championship.”