The East Grand Rapids Football teams struggled with back and forth announcements debating if their season should proceed as normal or postpone to a later season. However, with a recent announcement made by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, teammates celebrate their victory for an upcoming fall season. 

With fall sports starting mid-August, each athlete waited on the edge of their seat to find out if they in fact would be having a sports season. Football along with other fall sports was told after deliberation that their seasons would be moved to the spring of 2021 or canceled. Until Sept. 3, when Whitmer stated that all fall sports would resume as normal. During the summer months, Boys football practiced as much as they could with the limiting restrictions due to COVID-19. Conditioning took place at Memorial Field most days in the mornings so, in the chance that football was back on, they would be ready to play.

“I’m pretty excited, it’ll be something we were all hoping to have and I’m just happy to play,” Grady Gooch ‘21 said.

The 2021 Senior athletes are especially overwhelmed with excitement after hearing they would have a final season. With all of the unknowns, Seniors were nervous they wouldn’t get an ending to their high school football careers. Now, they couldn’t be happier.

“I think everyone is happy that we’re going to get to play even though it sucks we won’t be able to play in front of our classmates and community,” Alex Kolk ‘21 said.

The East Grand Rapids community couldn’t be more excited for the first football game of the season on Sept. 18. Whether the game is being streamed off of living room televisions or sitting on the sidelines ready for playing time, the Pioneers are back.