Football coaches are used to making decisions in high-pressure situations.
The coronavirus pandemic is bigger than going for it on fourth down, though.
While high school football hasn't been played since December, teams had been working out to get ready for the 2020 season.
However, the coronavirus situation has put the state's football programs on hold.
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"We're in a no-man's land," Nashville Coach Mike Volarvich said.
"It's uncharted waters," said Joe T. Robinson defensive coordinator Brian Maupin.
The Arkansas Activities Association instituted an athletic dead period March 13 and was extended after the original March 30 deadline to April 17. Gov. Asa Hutchinson announced Monday that schools will be closed for the remainder of the 2019-20 academic year.
Hours after Hutchinson's decision Monday, the AAA canceled the final two days of the state basketball finals (Classes 3A, 4A, 5A and 6A) and awarded state championships to the finalists in those classifications. On Wednesday, the athletic dead period was extended once again by the AAA, this time to May 30. Under a dead period, school athletic facilities are closed, and coaches are prohibited from having in-person contact with athletes whether it be practicing, training, weightlifting, tryouts, competition or travel.
As far as football goes, the state's last game was played Dec. 14 when Harding Academy defeated Osceola to win the Class 3A state championship at War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.
Most Arkansas high school football teams started their offseason programs in January. But the way players and coaches are preparing for the upcoming season is currently different.
Volarvich pointed out that he and Nashville's police department recently had to shut down a 7-on-7 tournament that was put on by some of the Scrappers' players because the group had more than 10 people.
"It's a tough situation," Volarvich said. "You love the pure leadership. We have great leadership. But again, that's not the best way to do things.
"You have to look at the big picture. You have to put football on the back burner."
Maupin, who is also the program's strength and conditioning coach, said the team is using Google Classroom for their players.
Robinson won its first state championship since 1980 in December. Maupin said that it's important for the Senators to keep working toward a second consecutive state title.
"We'll upload workouts and encourage them to be safe as possible," Maupin said. "We're on a mission to go back-to-back. We can't just sit around for three, four, five months. We'll be ready to play ball."
Robinson's athletic period is from 3-3:55 p.m. Workouts, Maupin said, have consisted of push-ups, squats, lunges as well as running, including hills.
"There are a lot of things we can do without the weight room," Maupin said.
Maupin pointed out that before Robinson opened its indoor facility in 2017, the Senators didn't have the amenities that it has now.
"So we're making the most of not having an ideal situation, again," Maupin said.
Maupin said he still communicates with players by text and FaceTime. He said the communication is important during a time of uncertainty.
"We want them to know, 'We care about you,'" Maupin said. "We don't want you to just sit around and play video games. We feel like we can still make an impact."
There are also programs in the state that are going through coaching changes.
With North Little Rock hiring former Arkadelphia coach J.R. Eldridge on March 30, there have been 23 coaching hirings this offseason.
Eldridge started at North Little Rock on April 1 and understood the sense of urgency to get going with the Charging Wildcats. Assistant coaches Blake Pizan, Clint Reed and Jacob Reynolds had been running the team's offseason program since former coach Jamie Mitchell left the school in January.
"My plan is to get into contact with the coaching staff," Eldridge said. "As I get my bearings, I'll set up meetings through technology. We'll get into contact with players that way. That will be the biggest challenge."
When Eldridge was at Arkadelphia, he and his assistant coaches used GroupMe, a text messaging application which helped them communicate with their athletes.
But at North Little Rock, Eldridge is in a new situation with new players.
"We'll be taking this one day at a time and evaluate daily what's going to happen," Eldridge said. "We have to stay in the moment and be on an even keel."
Late April and May are usually the time for football programs to go through spring practice. But with Wednesday's dead period extended, any on-field football activity will have to wait until at least May 31.
Volarvich said Nashville typically holds spring practice in the final two weeks of the school year and attempt to get it done before the baseball state championships. Nashville's baseball team has won three consecutive Class 4A state titles.
Maupin said Robinson has its spring drills from mid-to-late May, but as with Nashville, a good amount of players participate in other spring sports.
Also, Maupin added that having the eight competition days in the summer, which can be used for 7-on-7 competition and team camps, helps programs like Robinson who'll have their full team available after spring sports.
With the real possibility of no spring football and teams possibly not getting together until the summer, Volarvich said teams will have to adjust.
"The good ones will find a way to do it," Volarvich said.
Sports on 04/09/2020