North Delta senior Hawk Aldison picked up good yardage in jamboree action at the Green Wave’s home field last Friday. North Delta will open it’s 2020 season this Friday, Aug. 21, when they take on Marshall Academy. In the jamboree, the Green Wave played Magnolia Heights and Tunica Academy, teams they will play later in the season. (Glennie Pou)

Governor Tate Reeves announced Friday, Aug. 14, that high school extracurricular activities this fall will be limited to two spectators per participant. This will apply to public high school football games as well.

Reeves said he wants high school sports to continue and is placing these attendance caps on events because he wants to keep the risks as low as possible. This policy will be in effect until the end of August and will be re-evaluated then.

In Batesville, North Delta School will kick off its 2020 season this Friday when they host Marshall Academy at 7 p.m. Next week the Green Wave travels to play Tunica Academy, also at 7 p.m.

The Governor’s mandate that allows just two spectators per participant at high school events – players, cheerleaders, band members, etc., are allowed two each – apparently applies to both public and private schools.

The state treats private schools like small businesses, so some private school sports supporters believe their schools are not bound to follow the spectator cap. Some private schools are keeping charts and limiting the number of fans per player at events and some are not.

Many Panola County children attend Magnolia Heights School in Senatobia and the football season will also begin there on Friday when the Chiefs host the Lee Academy Colts of Clarksdale.

Both North Delta and Magnolia Heights have started their girls softball seasons and other fall sports are also underway.

South Panola High School fans are hoping the decline in coronavirus infections across the state the past two weeks will continue, allowing the Governor to lift the spectator ban, or increase the number per participant that may attend.

The Tigers are scheduled to open their 2020 campaign at Hernando High School at 7 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 4. The team will travel to Meridian High School the week of Sept. 11, and play at Clarksdale High School on Sept. 18.

The first home game at Robert H. Dunlap Stadium will be Sept. 25 when the Tigers play host to Starkville High School.

North Panola High School will play at home on Sept. 4 when they take on rival Charleston High School in a 7 p.m. game. The Cougars will play at Calhoun City on Sept. 11, and then host Ruleville Central in a Saturday, Sept. 19 matchup in Sardis.

Both North and South Panola High Schools have started volleyball and other fall sports.