Preseason Video Of Redbirds:
ALTON - The football team at Alton High School hasn't played a game in over a year, but the Redbirds have kept going, practicing and preparing, and on Friday night, will play its long-delayed and awaited season opener against Edwardsville with a 7 p.m. kickoff.
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This is the first game on the newly-installed turf field at Public School Stadium.
To watch the game live on Riverbender.com click below:
http://www.riverbender.com/video/live/details.cfm?id=1200
Although the football season was delayed and moved to the fall because of the COVID-19 Pandemic, the Redbirds will be ready to go, and are anxious to get the season started.
"We've talked about quite often with these guys," said Alton head coach Eric Dickerson. "You know, it's been over a year since they've played football competitively against another team. We've got some summer practices in, then we got a few weeks in the fall, and everything was shut down, and opened back up here a few weeks ago. So, we have a few days in at the end of February, and then, March 3rd was the opening day. We kind of hit the ground running with not a lot of time to prepare for week one, but at the same time, we've had a lot of time, because we had a lot of time off. The kids, hats go off to them for sticking to this and dealing with all the adversity they've had to go through so far."
Dickerson said that the seniors, especially, have been chomping at the bit to go out to play, and all the players have worked very hard to get ready for the Tigers Friday night.
"We've got seniors that have been itching to get out," Dickerson said, "so they've been watching film and have been preparing all off-season. We've got a good group out here that's working hard, and we're just trying to shore up offense and defense and special teams at this point."
Things will be very interesting this season, not only for the opener, but the entire six-week season, with playing in the spring instead of the fall, among other adjustments.
"I mean, in week one, it's going to be very interesting," Dickerson said, "with just everything that's happened, in playing football in March as opposed to late August, early September and again, just not having your full practice sessions you're used to getting before your first game. It's a very quick turnaround; I understand circumstance. But we're going to make the best of this situation and we'll be just fine."
Even with the bumps in the road, Dickerson feels that his team is going the right way, and is looking ahead to the long-awaited kickoff to the season.
"We're headed in the right direction," Dickerson said. "It's been a slow process, with new kids learning new positions, but the kids have been working their tails off and listening and been real coachable, and just looking forward to them to play Friday."
