Menu
BENNETT'S MINUTES: Week 1 football ticket, seating plans set for county games
All four Putnam County high school football teams will play in the county tonight, as Cloverdale hosts South Putnam, Greencastle hosts Crawfordsville and North Putnam hosts North Montgomery.
South Putnam will not open its home football season until hosting North Putnam in week three on Sept. 4.
As we have written about before, the rules for each venue in each sport will likely never be exactly the same.
Here is a collective list of some things fans should do before going to any athletic event::
• Have a charged smartphone with you in case the host school requires the scanning of QR codes (example at left);
• Wear a mask;
• Arrive much earlier than in past years due to methods indicated below to either perform contact tracing or have guests to answer health questions;
• Fans who are ill with any of the commonly-known COVID-19 symptoms (fever of 100 F, chills/shaking, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, muscle or body aches, headache, new loss of taste or smell, sore throat, nausea or vomiting or diarrhea) are encouraged to remain at home;
• Before leaving for a game, especially on the road, check with the host school to see if any tickets are available and how to purchase them (also if lawn chairs are permissible in non-bleacher areas for outdoor events); and
• Do not plan to have access to all areas of the stadium as in previous years. Many schools are basically quarantining visiting and home fans from each other at games by requiring different entrances.
Following are specific instructions from Cloverdale, Greencastle and North Putnam for fans planning to attend tonight’s home game:
CLOVERDALE
• Athletic Director J.J. Wade made the following statement:
“In accordance with the IHSAA, the Putnam County Health Department, and Governor Holcomb’s recent mandates, we will adhere and enforce the following guidelines and restrictions for fans to be in attendance at Athletic Events hosted by Cloverdale Community Schools. Although these guidelines and restrictions may feel unnecessary and/or uncomfortable for some, they are non-negotiable and must be followed for us to provide these experiences for our athletes. Please remember we are here for them and the small sacrifices we may make at these events in order for them to happen are well worth it. They have worked very hard to be ready to compete and represent our school and community and they will also be following the same guidelines and restrictions you are (unless they are under strenuous activity competing in the event itself).”
Specific plans for football are:
“For football games, we ask that the home crowd park in the East Lot behind the Football Field and all visitors park in the Main High School and South Parking Lots. We have been approved for 250 spectators per side (500 total) as long as we use separate entry points, separate restrooms, and separate concessions. For Volleyball, the main entrance (Door 1) will be used and we will limit entry to 250 spectators. There will be social distancing marks established at all entrances.
“Before entering the gate, each spectator must scan a QR Code (camera from phone will scan and open link) and complete form. Upon opening the link, you will be asked to fill in the date, your name, a contact number, and what event you are attending…it is really quick and easy and the preferred method to record attendance. The Board of Health Requires this for Contact Tracing in the event of a positive COVID Case after the event. If spectators cannot use the QR Code, the ticket taker will record spectator name and number. No one will be admitted unless this information is given in one of the two ways.”
Cloverdale’s entire plan is available at:
https://cloverathletics.com/2020/08/19/what-to-expect-at-2020-fall-cloverdale-at...
GREENCASTLE
• Greencastle athletic director Doug Greenlee reports that a limited number of tickets (26) for Friday’s game will be on sale early Friday morning.
Tickets may be purchased for $5 at Door 1 at McAnally Center from 8 to 10 a.m.
Unsold tickets, if any, will be available at the gate starting at 6:30 p.m.
Crawfordsville has been allotted 150 pre-sale tickets. They are selling them through noon Friday, and any tickets not sold will be available at the visitor’s gate beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Other stipulations include:
Masks are required for entrance and required during the event
Social distancing will be followed by all attendees
Fans buying tickets at the Greencastle ticket window must sit in the Greencastle bleachers
Fans buying tickets at the visitor’s window must sit in the visiting bleachers.
All Putnam County Health Department guidelines for hosting events will be followed.
A link to the entire Greencastle fall sports plan is available at:
https://www.bannergraphic.com/story/2829864.html
NORTH PUTNAM
• The school produced a video on Facebook Live this week which details their plans very specifically.
The video is available at:
https://www.facebook.com/NorthPutnamHS/videos/612094199376129
Fans do not need to be a Facebook member or give any personal information to see the video. The link (available with this column at www.bannergaphic.com) will take you directly to the video.
Among the topics covered in the video include fans needing to write down their names and phone numbers while entering for contact tracing purposes, the north end of the track being set aside for fans to sit in lawn chairs, the student section to be on the south end of the track and for fans to sit in their usual places. Some home fans may be moved to the visiting bleachers, and adjustments may be made throughout the evening.
Bits and pieces
As indicated earlier, “flexibility” is definitely playing out as the operative term for fall sports in the COVID-19 era.
Cloverdale lost its first two scheduled volleyball matches (against Southmont and North Central), while Greencastle had a different opponent on Saturday in volleyball than originally scheduled (Plainfield instead of Cascdae).
Parke Heritage football actually had two different opponents scheduled this week and will still not have a game.
The Wolves were scheduled to play Seeger, before the Patriots came down with COVID problems and had to drop out of that game. PH quickly picked up a game against Franklin County in southeastern Indiana, then on Thursday afternoon announced that game would not be played.
Southmont was scheduled to play at Fountain Central, but an FC teacher tested positive and several Mustang players had been in contact with him.
Makes a lot of sense for Southmont and PH to get together and play.
Plainfield was scheduled to play Greenfield-Central, which had to cancel because of COVID problems. The Quakers will now host defending Class 6A state champion Carmel.
Valparaiso/Penn and Tipton/Madison-Grant are among the many games not being played.
West Vigo lost its opener with North Central, will play Purdue Polytechnic of Indianapolis instead.
Crazy times, for sure.