The Ethel football team will lose two games and a scrimmage, and the volleyball team will lose four matches because the school has gone to virtual learning through September 1.
The bad news is that the missed games have to be forfeited in accordance with MHSAA rules. The good news is that no region games are involved.
The football team will miss out on a scrimmage with Pisgah scheduled for Friday and the first two regular season games, Clarkdale August 27 and Enterprise-Lincoln September 3. Both were scheduled as home games for the Tigers.
The first game Ethel will be able to play is September 10 at McAdams. During the virtual period, Ethel teams will not be able to practice.
“It’s going to put us behind the 8 ball a little bit as far as conditioning goes,” said Coach Adam Smith. “I have encouraged them (players) to not go home and sit under the air conditioning. Get out and do something to try to keep in decent shape so when we get back you are not sucking wind.”
After McAdams, Ethel has a road game with East Rankin Academy September 17 before beginning Region 3-1A play September 24 with a home game against Leake County.
The volleyball team will forfeit two matches with Eupora and one each with Winona and East Webster. The day that classes are scheduled to resume (September 2) the Lady Tigers have a match at Sebastopol after two weeks without practicing.
“It’s going to be tough,” said Coach Chris Schuster. “I’m going to make sure they get out and do some things so when we get back, we will at least be in shape.”
Ethel has a rematch with Sebastopol a week later before beginning 5-1A play September 14 at West Lowndes.
“What upset me is that we were getting a lot better. All this is going to do is make us go back a little bit,” Schuster said, “but a lot of schools are going through the same thing, so you just have to take it in stride.”
Ethel lost a tight five-set match to Winona Tuesday that the Lady Tigers nearly won in the fourth set. “We were one or two points away from winning the whole thing,” said Schuster.
