Highland football program adjusts to IHSA season switch to spring football
On July 29, Highland football coach Jimmy Warnecke was busy planning his first week of fall practices when the new Illinois High School Association’s Return To Activities schedule was was released and the decision to move football to the spring of 2021 was made.
The announcement hit Warnecke and his assistant coaches like a cold slap across the face. Coaches preparing their teams for fall sports such as football, girls volleyball and boys soccer are now forced to wait until mid-February before their seasons begin.
“My biggest take was my mindset now has to be training these kids for the seven months to be in peak condition to take the field March 5,” he said. “The next seven months, it’s going to be which teams better themselves the most. I’m very happy the IHSA provided a plan that potentially allows all sports across the board to compete.
“I think that’s an incredible solution for kids and there’s obviously issues and holes you can find with it, but at the end of the day, they put together a plan that allows all of the kids to compete.”
The ISHA Return to Activities plan still is pending approval from the Illinois Department of Public Health.
As that process moves forward, while the girls and boys golf, cross country, and girls tennis teams start fall season practice, Warnecke and the Bulldogs will be back in the weight room working on getting bigger and stronger for the football field.
“We’re lifting weights right now and that’s all we’re doing and we’re going to continue lifting weights three days a week until Sept. 7 and once that hits, we’ll continue to lift but get (in) on-field workouts as well and we’ll coordinate with the basketball team and other sports that may be affected and figure out a plan,” Warnecke said.
College recruiting poses challenge
Major challenges the season switch will bring for Highland include college recruiting and scheduling.
For seniors such as standout running back Logan Chandler and lineman Sam Buck, playing in the spring means not being able to have time to make on-campus recruiting visits and have in-home visits from college coaches.
“It is a (challenge) and they haven’t been able to make any visits because of everything being closed down (due to COVID-19). You want your players to be able to make an educated decision for themselves, so just the whole situation has caused some issues with that for everyone,” Warnecke said.
“The upside for most D-I kids is that in most of the D-I programs will be playing in the fall and I’m hoping that will lead to opportunities for them (schools) to actually come and see more kids in person in the spring with our high school playing in the spring.”
Teams playing in the winter, spring, and summer seasons will be playing shortened seasons that will be limited to games and competition against teams in the same athletic conference of COVID-region.
Highland will play a seven game spring schedule that includes Mississippi Valley Conference rivals Waterloo, Mascoutah, Triad, Civic Memorial, and Jerseyville.
Collinsville, Granite City may join league for 2021
Warnecke noted MVC athletic directors are currently in talks about having Collinsville and Granite City potentially play in the conference in the spring of 2021 just for that season to help fill their scheduling void.
“That would gives us seven conference games with those two teams added for just this year only,” Warnecke said. “It is interesting and for the AD’s ... this move would be very helpful for them because they wouldn’t have to find two more games within the region. That’s what’s currently being discussed.”
One pleasant diversion from all of the scheduling craziness for Warnecke and the Bulldogs has been the Highland youth football camp.
“It’s been great just seeing the little guys out there and seeing the older guys who were once coached in this camp five, six, seven years ago and seeing them go full-circle and help give back to these kids is pretty cool,” Warnecke said. “It’s what sports is all about.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2020 at 6:10 PM with the headline "Highland football program adjusts to IHSA season switch to spring football."