Football returned to Lower Mainland fields last weekend, as Vancouver Mainland Football League teams – including the White Rock -South Surrey Titans – laced up their cleats, grabbed their helmets and followed a slew of new COVID-19 protocols for Week 1 of gridiron action.
And despite all the new regulations – which included COVID-19-related medical questions and temperature checks for people nearest the field, and long sleeves and gloves for players, among other rules – Week 1 of the season “went very well,” Titans president Drew Kightley told Peace Arch News this week.
“With the pre-work that went into getting ready for this past weekend we (were) able to have everything in place. Our team managers and volunteers have stepped up in a big way this year,” he said.
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Among other rules for the 2020 season are that players have larger mouth guards that cover their lips; sneeze guards are attached to helmets and the equipment and the balls are sanitized continuously throughout games and practices.
As for the games themselves, Titans teams picked up a handful of victories – the bantam Titans defeated Vancouver’s Westside Warriors 47-13; one of two junior bantam teams defeated the Royal City Hyacks 52-0; the peewee Titans beat North Delta 14-7; and the atom flag division team won 13-0 over North Surrey.
White Rock’s two midget teams squared off against each other, with the White team defeating the Blue squad.
The Titans’ second junior-bantam squad lost to the South Delta Rams at South Surrey Athletic Park Sunday afternoon, and the junior flag division team lost 18-6 to North Surrey.
Teams are back on the field this weekend.
sports@peacearchnews.com
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