GA High School Association Cancels Football Scrimmages

GEORGIA — The Georgia High School Association has thrown a flag on students playing preseason football scrimmages. The regular season is still set to begin the week of Sept. 4.

The group announced Thursday it is canceling the scrimmages, and postponing competitive cheerleading to winter, and one-act plays to the spring, the AJC reported.

The games, which would have been held the last two weeks of August, allow schools to up to two weeks before their first games.

Georgia High School Association Executive Director Robin Hines said in an email to schools and board members that Georgia Department of Health Chairman Dr. Kathleen Toomey said football, cheerleading, chorus and band are higher-risk school activities, the AJC reported.

Hines’ also said he was worried about football "due to high risk and physical contact," cheerleading "due to high risk of indoor packed arena(s), which do not allow for social distancing" and one-act play "due to risk of indoor venues and aerosol spray from projection and singers," the paper reported.