WEST PALM BEACH – Due to the spread of COVID-19, many schools in Palm Beach County have not been able to return to practice or play yet.
A few schools, however, have been able to, including the Berean Christian Bulldogs of West Palm Beach.
Berean Christian officially began its practices on August 24, which was the first day schools in Florida were able to.
“It’s a dream come true. It’s something that we didn’t think would actually happen. The fact that we have an opportunity to be back on the football field, it feels great,” Berean Christian head coach Mario Jackson said about returning to the field. “My heart goes out for all those schools in Palm Beach County that don’t have the opportunity that we have at the Christian schools.”
The Bulldogs are prepping for a start to the season that is closer than it may feel. They will open their 2020 campaign on the road against Jupiter Christian on Friday, Sept. 11.
The return is a quick one, especially considering the months away from the field because of the spread of COVID-19.
“It’s tough,” Jackson admitted. “You have an opportunity but you lose the amount of practices, the amount of reps with your ones and you definitely lose the amount of reps with your twos. If you go back and you think about the opportunity that was missed with spring football, that’s when a majority of your guys who are newcomers to your program and newcomers to playing football, that’s when a majority of their reps are taken.”
To make matters harder for Berean Christian, all seven of their games this season will take place on the road.
Here is Berean Christian’s schedule for the 2020 season:
•Game 1: Friday, Sept. 11 at Jupiter Christian – 4 p.m. kickoff
•Game 2: Friday, Sept. 18 at St. John Paul II Academy – 6:30 p.m. kickoff
•Game 3: Friday, Sept. 25 at Glades Day – 7 p.m. kickoff
•Game 4: Friday, Oct. 2 at Boca Raton Christian – 7 p.m. kickoff
•Game 5: Friday, Oct. 16 at Master’s Academy – 7:30 p.m. kickoff
•Game 6: Friday, Oct. 23 at Westminster Academy – 7 p.m. kickoff
•Game 7: Friday, Oct. 30 at Mt. Dora Christian Academy – 7 p.m. kickoff
“It’s definitely going to be tough but at the same time, when adversity comes or when things don’t necessarily go your way, you have to pull yourself together by your bootstraps,” Jackson said. “Hopefully you have some leadership, whether it’s by your juniors or seniors, that will actually corral the group.”
After finishing 2019 with a 5-5 record, Jackson hasn’t changed his expectations for the 2020 season, even if there have been circumstances outside of Berean Christian’s control.
“Football is football. You’re going to always have adversity,” Jackson said. “The expectation is to always win and to always do your best and to glorify God in everything that we do. … So, if you’re going to have a different expectation just because you’re going to have adversity, then we need to go back and reevaluate some things.”
