With high school football’s return in Live Oak, Florida, Ron DeSantis appeared in the small North Florida community on Friday Night.
The bleachers at Paul Langford Stadium were packed with fans donning the green and white of Suwannee High School, cheering their Bulldogs on against the Santa Fe Raiders.
Masks, however, were sparse among those in the packed bleachers.
Suwannee county has implemented a mask optional policy amid the COVID-19 pandemic for events such as football games, despite CDC recommendations.
The crowd was energized before the opening kick-off, as the maskless Florida Governor drew a standing ovation before leading the ceremonial coin toss.
DeSantis was also seen tossing the football around with staff members and delivering a pre-game speech to the Bulldogs before leaving in the second quarter.
The game itself was much less contentious, as Suwannee dominated Santa Fe for most of the contest.
Senior quarterback Jaquez Moore opened the scoring in the first quarter, keeping the ball on a read option and surging into the endzone for six.
Both offenses struggled through much of the first and second quarters, as penalties and turnovers plagued the teams. But two touchdowns in the final five minutes of the first half gave Suwannee a comfortable 21-3 lead going into the locker room.
The halftime proceedings revealed further flaws in the social distancing measures at Paul Langford Stadium. Concession stands, stairwells and bathrooms were all brimming with people.
To spectators, however, this didn’t seem to be a point of concern.
“I’m not too worried about the COVID stuff,” said a teenaged Suwannee fan. “I figure if you’re here and there’s COVID, you’re going to catch it either way. It feels a little overdone having all these cops here.”
Police officers and health inspectors present at the game declined to comment.
Suwannee never looked back after its late half flourish. Moore added another three touchdowns as the Bulldogs grew their lead to 41-3, and Santa Fe scored a late consolation touchdown as the game ended 41-10.
Moore was absolutely unstoppable, as the Suwannee quarterback accounted for two touchdowns through the air and three on the ground, all while committing zero turnovers.
“It’s long overdue,” the Bulldogs quarterback said about returning to the field. “It’s beyond words what it means to be able to be out here in front of everyone playing again.”
When asked about the effects the crowd may have on the spread of COVID and the completion of the high school season, Moore shared the spectators’ indifference.
“In the world that we’re living in right now, that’s always going to have people worried,” he said. “But I don’t really think about it. I’m just focused on playing my game.”
As the final whistle sounded, players gathered with the band and danced along to the Suwanee alma mater.
As fans shuffled out of the stadium and said goodbye to their friends and family, you wouldn’t know there was a pandemic in Live Oak: Just another Friday night in September.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis made a trip to Live Oak, Florida, to watch the Suwannee Bulldogs take on the Santa Fe Raiders Friday night. He left in the second quarter.
