MOULTRIE – There will be one noticeable change in the way the Colquitt County football team continues its voluntary summer sessions beginning on July 20: players will be able for the first time this summer to wear helmets during workouts.

The Georgia High School Association made the change to its Coronavirus Guidance Plan at a meeting on Wednesday, July 15, but kept in place all other provisions of the plan.

Next up for the GHSA is to make an announcement about the start of mandatory football practices, currently scheduled to begin on July 27.

Traditionally, the first week of mandatory practices are used to help players become acclimated to the heat.

According to the GHSA, full practices are scheduled to begin on Aug. 1.

Colquitt County has a scrimmage against Lee County scheduled for Aug. 7. The high school football season is slated to begin on Aug. 21-22.

So far, there has been no indication from the GHSA that those dates won’t be met.

But other states have taken measures to delay their fall football seasons.

When the South Carolina High School League decided to move the start of its season to September because of the pandemic, it affected 26 Georgia high school programs, which had 34 games scheduled against South Carolina teams.

This week, it was announced that high school football won’t be played this fall in Virginia. Last week, West Virginia and New Jersey pushed back the starts of their seasons and New Mexico canceled its season, but could move it to the spring.

In college football, the Big 10 and the Pac-12 have announced its football teams will only play conference games this fall. Other Power-5 conference could follow suit.

In the Football Championship Series, the Ivy League, Patriot League and Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference have canceled their seasons. The Colonial Athletic Association is expected to, as well.

And the National Junior College Athletic Association has decided to move all of its fall sports, including football, to the spring.

Of this and that:

• Speaking of dates for a sport’s first practice, cheerleading, fast-pitch softball, volleyball, cross country and riflery can get started on Aug. 1.

• Florida State’s Elizabeth Funderburk, an NCAA Indoor qualifier in the 5000-meter run, has received All-Academic honors handed out by the U.S. Track and Field and Cross Country Coaches Association.

It was the second time the former Lady Packer has been so honored.

The award recognizes both athletic and academic excellence.

• And when basketball season rolls around, Colquitt County fans will see a familiar face on the Tift County boys team’s bench.

Tommy Blackshear was recently named the Blue Devils head coach.

Blackshear previously coached the Devils from 1988-2004, leading Tift County to the state Class AAAA championship in 1996.

He was inducted into the Tift County Athletic Hall of Fame in 2015.