| The Pueblo Chieftain
Pueblo high schools return to the gridiron this week, starting with a couple this weekend in town at Dutch Clark Stadium and out at Pueblo County High School.
However, attendance will be capped at 175 people per side with tickets having certain priority.
For Dutch Clark Stadium, tickets will be given out in this order to both home and away teams, per a press release sent to the Chieftain on Monday night:
- 2 guests per senior football players
- 2 guests per paid football coach
- 2 guests per spirit/cheer and dance team senior class members
- 25 guests for SCL League and CHSAA pass
- The remainder will go to the senior class student body which is approximately 60 guests.
- A gatelist will be submitted the day prior to the game and anyone not on the list will not be allowed entry into the stadium.
Parking will be free, but the gatelist will be checked for entry, as well as spectators given specific areas in which to park.
Those on the gatelist can then purchase tickets at the booth with exact cash, debit or credit cards, or online by scanning the GoFan code with their phone at the gate.
Tickets will be $6 for adults, $4 for students and senior citizens.
Once inside, all spectators must wear a mask during the duration of the game. Spectators and the student body will have designated seating areas as well.
For District 70 schools Pueblo County and Pueblo West, two tickets will be given to the parents for all 50 players and all cheer/dance participants.
The same number of tickets will be allotted to the visiting team for their players and cheerleaders.
However, Pueblo County and Pueblo West will offer unused tickets by parents back to the student body and unused tickets from the visiting team will also be available.
As for the game on the field, rosters for each team will be limited to 50 players with the sidelines extending down to the 10-yard line for extra room to social distance when not playing and for coaches.
Any player not currently in action will be required to wear a mask, as well as all coaches and anyone else not actively participating on the field.
Coin tosses will be done prior to the game and no handshakes will occur following the game.
The season itself will be shorter due to the late start date, meaning teams at all levels will only play six regular season games.
At every classification, there will be an eight-team state tournament with all eight spots being determined by the CHSAA Seeding Index (MaxPreps, RPI, coaches poll and Packard rankings).
The playoffs will begin on Nov. 20 and any team that doesn’t qualify will have the option to schedule a seventh game either the week of the first playoff game, or the following week during the semifinal round of the playoffs.
Here is a look at each of the eight local teams’ schedule this season:
PUEBLO CENTENIAL
- 7 p.m., Oct. 9 vs. Canon City
- 7 p.m., Oct. 16 at Pueblo Central
- 7 p.m., Oct. 22 vs. Pueblo South
- 5 p.m., Oct. 30 at Durango
- 7 p.m., Nov. 6 vs. Pueblo County
- 5 p.m., Nov. 13 at Holy Family
PUEBLO CENTRAL
- 7 p.m., Oct. 9 at Pueblo County
- 7 p.m., Oct. 16 vs. Pueblo Centennial
- 7 p.m., Oct. 23 at Pueblo East
- 7 p.m., Oct. 29 vs. Canon City
- 7 p.m., Nov. 5 vs. Lewis-Palmer
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13, at Pueblo South
PUEBLO COUNTY
- 7 p.m., Oct. 9 vs. Pueblo Central
- 7 p.m., Oct. 15 at Pueblo South
- 2 p.m., Oct. 24 vs. Durango
- 7 p.m., Oct. 30 at Lutheran
- 7 p.m., Nov. 6 at Pueblo Centennial
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 vs. Pueblo East
PUEBLO EAST
- 1 p.m., Oct. 10 vs. Riverdale Ridge
- 7 p.m., Oct. 16 at Canon City
- 7 p.m., Oct. 23 vs. Pueblo Central
- 7 p.m., Oct. 30 at Pueblo South
- 1 p.m., Nov. 7 vs. Durango
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 at Pueblo County
PUEBLO SOUTH
- 6 p.m., Oct. 9, at Durango
- 7 p.m., Oct. 15, vs. Pueblo County
- 7 p.m. Oct. 22, at Pueblo Centennial
- 7 p.m., Oct. 30 vs. Pueblo East
- 7 p.m., Nov. 6 at Canon City
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 vs. Pueblo Central
PUEBLO WEST
- 7 p.m., Oct. 9 at Cheyenne Mountain
- 7 p.m., Oct. 16 vs. Air Academy
- 7 p.m., Oct. 23 at Mesa Ridge
- 7 p.m., Oct. 30 vs. Fountain-Ft. Carson
- 7 p.m., Nov. 6 at Vista Ridge
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 vs. Rampart
RYE
- 7 p.m., Oct. 9 at Paonia
- 7 p.m., Oct. 16 vs. Peyton
- 7 p.m., Oct. 23 vs. CS Christian
- 7 p.m., Oct. 30 at Florence
- 7 p.m., Nov. 6 vs. Trinidad
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 at Rocky Ford
DOLORES HUERTA
- 1 p.m., Oct. 9 at South Park
- 1 p.m., Oct. 17 vs. Elbert
- 1 p.m., Oct. 24 vs. Swink
- 1 p.m., Oct. 31 at Pikes Peak Christian
- 1 p.m., Nov. 7 vs. Calhan
- 7 p.m., Nov. 13 at Simla
Chieftain sports reporter Austin White can be reached by email at [email protected] or on Twitter at twitter.com/ajw_sports. Help support the Chieftain and get the latest news on prep sports with a digital subscription.