More Than 100 Wisconsin High Schools Are Playing Football This Spring

It was cold and a little snowy in Green Bay Thursday night when the football team from Notre Dame Academy came from behind to beat Menasha High School.

It’s weather more common at the end of high school football season — normally held in fall — than the beginning, said Notre Dame’s head coach Mike Rader.

But of course, this past year has been unprecedented.

About 250 Wisconsin high schools played football last fall, but more than 100 opted to wait until spring due to the coronavirus pandemic. More than 50 games are scheduled for this weekend, according to Wade Labecki of the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA).

It felt awesome to be back on the field, Rader said.

“Obviously, the icing on the cake for us was that we won in a somewhat dramatic fashion with a touchdown late in the fourth quarter,” he said.

There are some logistical challenges when it comes to moving football season. Notre Dame already had spring break, but it’s something other schools will have to contend with, Rader noted. His own squad will have to start sharing its turf with the soccer and lacrosse teams, he said.

“It’s more than worth it. It’s been a very long time since these kids have been able to get out on the field,” Rader said.

It’s been a hard year for many people, including kids who’ve missed interacting with their friends, he said. He believes athletics has been a helpful outlet.

“As we started to open things back up a little bit and we would have kids throwing footballs around to each other and stuff like that, in a lot of cases the high school kids kind of looked like grade school kids because they were just happy to be out there,” Rader said.

Teams will play seven games during the alternate season this spring. There’s no postseason since football is set to start again in the fall, Labecki said.

It’s been more than a year since the coronavirus pandemic first impacted high school sports in Wisconsin. The WIAA called off the boys and girls basketball tournaments last year, then canceled spring sports. It was devastating, Labecki said.

“We decided we need to go ahead and find a way to (offer sports) as safely as possible,” he said.

Football isn’t the only sport with an alternate season taking place this spring. Swimming and volleyball are underway. And safety is the top priority, Labecki said.

When it comes to the pandemic, Wisconsin is in a better place now than in the fall. Still, Notre Dame is taking precautions including weekly COVID-19 testing, Rader said.

Labecki attended the game Thursday and noted each player from Menasha had a bucket with their number on it. It’s where they kept their mask, water bottle and other personal items, he said. The WIAA encourages everyone to wear masks and socially distance whenever possible.

Labecki also credited the officials who are making sports possible amid the pandemic. Many are vulnerable to COVID-19 due to their age. But everyone is working toward one goal: giving the kids a chance to play, he said.