Bastrop, Cedar Creek back on the field

The Bastrop and Cedar Creek football programs began daily two-hour sport specific practices on Monday, but the athletes wore only shorts and T-shirts.

Both teams have implemented strict COVID-19 prevention protocols, including health screens, temperature checks at the start of practice, wearing masks, having individual water bottles, and practicing social distancing.

Neither school has had a positive case yet of the coronavirus.

“We’ve been good so far,” Bastrop coach Todd Patmon said. “We tell our kids, ‘Wear (the masks) as much as possible.’”

Each player brings his own bottle or jug to practice. If he runs out, he goes to the trainer’s table and takes a plastic bottle of water.

Patmon said the school has supplied each player with a face mask and neck gaiter. Patmon prefers the face mask.

Each player also wears football or gardening gloves and is required to use hand sanitizer to clean the gloves, Patmon said.

Bastrop and Cedar Creek players will wear a face mask that is attached by Velcro to the helmet during football games.

Both teams will start wearing helmets on Sept 7. They will add shoulder pads on Sept. 11. Full contact will commence the following day.

Bastrop’s only scrimmage is Sept. 17 at Lockhart. The Bears’ season opener is at home against Bryan Rudder (5-5 last year) on Sept. 25. The Bears edged Rudder 28-27 last year.

Patmon is continuing to search for a ninth game on Oct. 2. The Bears have eight games (one nondistrict and seven District 13-5A opponents) on their schedule. He said he would know more about the possibility of a ninth game the week of Sept. 7.

“No one knows what everyone is doing (yet),” he said. “We did call, email and run people down. But there’s so much uncertainty.”

He added that he’s not desperate to find a ninth game.

“It gives us a chance to have a game and then a bye week to get rearranged,” he said.

Bastrop has added a transfer from Louisiana and Iowa, Patmon said. The transfer from Iowa is a former Bastrop student.

“They both look good running around,” he said.

Three starters for Cedar Creek last year — quarterback Tim Caldwell (Del Valle), quarterback/wide receiver Ty Pruett (Wimberley), and defensive end Ian Flowers (Smithville) — have transferred.

“You never want to see a kid leave your program,” Cedar Creek coach Bryan Hill said. “You want to keep as many kids as you possibly can. In each case, they’re great kids, and we wish them nothing but the best. Hopefully they have success where they’re headed.”

After the departure of two experienced quarterbacks, junior Brock McCaughlin appears to be the heir apparent.

“He’s smart, picked up the (multiple) offense really well,” Hill said. “Like every year, you have to find the best puzzle pieces and where they fit.”

Cedar Creek’s scrimmage is Sept. 18 at home against Buda Johnson. The Eagles open at Seguin (5-6 last year) on Sept. 25. Seguin coach Travis Bush was the offensive coordinator at Texas State when Hill was a quarterback on the squad.

“We’re dang excited to get the season started,” Hill said.