(Park Hills, MO) With the heat experienced in Missouri this week, local football teams have had to adjust practice times. The Central Rebels, being one of those teams, have pushed their practices back to 8:00pm.
Teams north of the Parkland have shifted to morning practices. Webster Groves High School, for example, has practiced at 6:00am this week.
Central head coach Kory Schweiss says they aren’t the only team that is changing practice time due to the heat.
The Missouri State High School Activities Association (MSHSAA) uses a Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) to determine whether practices and games should be rescheduled or adjusted. According to the MSHSAA Heat Modification Policy, there should be no outdoor workouts while temperatures are greater than 92ºF, and practices should not exceed one hour in length while temperatures are between 90ºF-92ºF. In addition to time restrictions, there must be 20 minutes of rest breaks distributed throughout the hour of practice, and football players are not permitted to wear protective equipment.
Schweiss expects the heat players experienced this week could have an impact on football games this week.
There are two games happening locally originally scheduled for Thursday night. Fredericktown will play at Perryville, while DeSoto hosts Freeburg, IL. Both of those games are scheduled for 7:00pm. As of now, these games are still on.
The Rebels travel to Owensville Friday night, and Schweiss adds the team is excited to get back to the gridiron to defend last year’s State Championship