GRAVETTE -- Coach Kelby Bohannon and his staff continued running his Gravette Lion junior and senior high football teams through light practice sessions on July 22 in anticipation of the start of the 2020 football season.
At present, the Arkansas Activities Association, the governing body that oversees high school sporting and activities events, has yet to release sports programs for full practice sessions due to Gov. Asa Hutchinson and the Arkansas Health Department's continued covid-19 mandates.
With virus cases on the rise in the state over the past month and school start date pushed to Aug. 24, the Gravette, as well as Decatur and Gentry, schedules are still on hold, leading some to speculate whether the 2020 season will even get off the ground at all.
But Bohannon and his staff continue to maintain an optimistic outlook on this year's season, and he continues to drill his kids on the basics of the game. Currently, the Lions practice three days a week from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. (when the day is the coolest). However, all sports in Gravette are closed to visitors due to the covid-19 protocol.
Just when the AAA and Hutchinson release all sports for competition is up in the air at present. But this will not stop area teams like Gravette from preparing for an exciting and most likely different 2020 football season.