(Editor's note: the original version of this story erroneously reported that Valley Christian vs. Heart Butte was postponed due to COVID protocols. The game was postponed due to low participation numbers on Heart Butte.)
High school football schedules are being heavily affected early in the season, often due to COVID-19.
After COVID-19 protocols canceled high school football games last week, including East Helena vs. Columbia Falls, more schools are seeing adjustments to their schedules. The Friday, Sept. 10 Missoula Hellgate vs. Missoula Sentinel match-up is postponed due to COVID-19 in Hellgate's program.
Due to COVID-19 contact tracing, Hays-Lodgepole announced via Facebook that it would be postponing all activities for the second week in a row. The Thunderbirds' football game against Simms on Saturday, Sept. 4 was scratched. Simms played Broadus instead, a 57-15 victory for the Tigers.
Hays-Lodgepole's second week of cancellations affects Chester-Joplin-Inverness, who will now play Belt on Friday, Sept. 10. Belt was previously supposed to play Great Falls Central, but Central is low on numbers due to injuries.
Rocky Boy's game against Fort Benton on Friday, Sept. 10 is also postponed due to COVID.
Plains had a football game scheduled with Drummond-Philipsburg on Saturday, Sept. 11, but that too is postponed due to COVID. Eureka Public Schools is currently dealing with a COVID outbreak, but the Lions will still play their scheduled football game in Fairfield on Friday, Sept. 10.
The football game between Valley Christian (Missoula) and Heart Butte on Saturday, Sept. 11 is also postponed due to low numbers in the Heart Butte program.
