It was a normal first official day of football practice for the Helias Crusaders.
It started early Monday morning with players and coaches going through Media/Picture Day at Ray Hentges Stadium, followed by a practice session.
It was just like every other year. Helias coach Chris Hentges hopes to keep it that way in the age of COVID-19.
"We're cautiously optimistic that we will have a normal season," Hentges said. "We're taking all the precautions we possibly can, protecting the team and protecting the coaches."
That said, things can change in a hurry.
"It's really a day-to-day scenario right now," Hentges said. "We've been impacted here this summer, we've been impacted today with a handful of players who can't be here because of contact tracing or exposure they might have had in the past week or so.
"But we know we're not going to be alone in that, it's just reality."
The Crusaders are scheduled to practice throughout the week before holding their first scrimmage Saturday morning, the first day the team can practice in full pads.
Helias was scheduled to take part in the four-team Jamboree at Blair Oaks on Friday, Aug. 21. But that has been canceled and the Missouri State High School Activities Association is allowing football to have two-team Jamborees later this month.
"We're talking with a couple of schools to see what we can get set up," Hentges said. "If we don't get anything, we'll just hold a Blue and Gold Scrimmage."
If Helias does have a Jamboree, Hentges said he'd like to have the plans finalized in the next couple of days.
"We'd prefer a Jamboree, we want to play somebody else," he said.
Helias lost its Week 4 game in the regular season, scheduled to be played at Granite City, Ill. The Crusaders are looking for a team to fill that spot.
"We have sent out a mass email to athletic directors and we haven't heard anything back yet," Hentges said.
But with that game still more than a month away, there's still a lot of time left to fill that hole in the schedule.
"It's an ever-changing situation," Hentges said. "We might pick up a Week 4 game the Monday or Tuesday of that week because a team had to drop out and someone is looking for a game last minute.
"We're optimistic and hopeful we'll be able to fill that spot."
Helias is scheduled to start the season Friday, Aug. 28, at Hannibal.