Heat alters high school football openers

An August heat wave will disrupt the opening week of Missouri high school football for the second straight season.

With a forecast calling for the heat index to near 100 degrees on Friday in Kansas City, many opening-week games have pushed back kickoffs. The teams hope to wait out the hottest portion of the day and play a larger chunk of the game with the sun down.

“We’ve adjusted practice times all week, so these kids are ready to start whenever,” Raymore-Peculiar coach Tom Kruse said. “We understand the reasoning behind (the late start). If it gets us through a football game without anyone getting hurt, then it’s worth it.”

Under the rules of the Missouri State High School Activities Association, if the heat index is between 95 and 105 degrees, practices and game times should be altered, which will mean an increased number of water breaks on Friday.

“We have already discussed with officials and coaches that we will take numerous water and hydration breaks,” Center athletic director Brad Sweeten said.

Sixteen games on last year’s opening-week slate were rescheduled because of the heat.

Here is the Friday and Saturday schedule, with altered game times as submitted to The Star. Other games were scheduled to start at 7 p.m., but a phone call to the school is advised.

Blue Springs South at Park Hill, 8 p.m.

East at West Platte, 8 p.m.

Fort Osage at Raytown South, 8 p.m.

Lathrop at Van Horn, 8 p.m.

Lee’s Summit at Truman, 8 p.m.

Liberty at Lee’s Summit West, 8 p.m.

Lone Jack at Wellington-Napoleon

Maryville at Lawson

Northeast at African Centered, 8 p.m.

Oak Grove at Holden

Odessa at St. Pius X, 7:30 p.m.

O’Hara at Richmond, 8 p.m.

Orrick at Braymer

Osceola at Midway, 7:30 p.m.

Park Hill South at Lee’s Summit North, 8 p.m.

Raymore-Peculiar at Belton, 8 p.m.

Raytown at Liberty North, 8 p.m.

Rockhurst at Rock Bridge, 7:30 p.m.

Ruskin at Grandview, 8 p.m.

St. Joseph Benton at Harrisonville

St. Joseph Central at Kearney, 8 p.m.

St. Joseph Lafayette at North Kansas City

St. Joseph LeBlond at Pembroke Hill, 8 p.m.

Savannah at Grain Valley

Smithville at Pleasant Hill, 8:05 p.m.

Staley at Blue Springs, 8 p.m.

University Academy at Center, 7:30 p.m.

Warrensburg at Excelsior Springs

William Chrisman at Platte County, 8 p.m.

Winnetonka at Oak Park, 8 p.m.

SATURDAY, AUG. 23

Polo at Summit Christian, 11 a.m.

Southwest at Lincoln Prep, 11 a.m.

Hogan Prep at Central

This story was originally published August 21, 2014 at 9:20 PM with the headline "Heat alters high school football openers."