TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — Week four of the high school football season is on the horizon as close to a dozen teams are out this week due to COVID-related issues.
Two teams in Leon County's public school system are set to open their seasons, and that's a reason to celebrate.
Godby vs Chiles is ABC 27's Friday Night Overtime Game of the Week.
They've had to sit back and wait for their chance to shine under the Friday night lights, but this Friday, schools in Leon County will return to the gridiron.
It hasn't been easy for football teams in Leon County.
"Not only were we not able to start practicing when everyone else was able to start, we weren't even able to work our kids out in the summer so now we're trying to get them in shape," said Kevin Pettis, the head football coach at Chiles. "So it's balancing on how much you spend on the X's and O's part and how much do you spend on the physical part of it."
But their struggles to adjust and overcome have taught valuable lessons.
"Accountability is probably the biggest thing," said Brandon McCray, Godby's head football coach. "You know, to get young teenagers in the mindset of 'we need to look out for each other' so that we can play the game we love."
Between these two schools, there's plenty of shared mutual respect.
"You're playing Godby and it's Godby," Pettis said. "Coach McCray and I are really good friends so I mean when you look at that you know what you're going to get with them."
"Coach Pettis is a really good coach," said McCray. "He's experienced and he's had a lot of success throughout his career and he's one of the smartest coaches in the state."
Leon and Rickards were supposed to play this week, but that has been canceled due to positive coronavirus cases.
