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Mike Kellar, Glenville State football team are managing

GLENVILLE — The middle of November was supposed to mark Glenville State College’s last regular season football contest for senior day against West Virginia Wesleyan at Morris Stadium.

Of course, the Pioneers of second-year head coach Mike Kellar have been in the same boat as many college football programs across the country, unable to play because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“We got in 15 practices, two scrimmages on Saturdays and we had a fall game (Blue/White),” Kellar said. “We feel pretty good. I think we missed maybe a week or 10 days because of the whole COVID.

“Other than that, got all of our lifts in and had skill development. We had to take all the precautions and do that stuff, but we’ve been really good here. Our administration has done a really good job with it. I couldn’t be more pleased with that. I’d rather be playing games, but it is what it is.”

As has been the plan for several months, it appears the Pioneers and fellow Mountain East Conference members will be competing this spring.

“They are still talking about it,” Kellar said of the MEC. “They had a schedule made for us. Nothing is official yet and got to figure out testing procedures and the league is working with the medical people and the presidents are talking about it.

“Scheduled for five games this spring and have a conference championship. Right now, all systems are go with that. Obviously, with the numbers and we got a new president (Mark Manchin) coming in and all these other things everything is open for discussion or subject to change.”

When it comes to actually resuming games on the gridiron, Kellar noted “we’ve been part of the discussion and all that.

“Looking somewhere in March to mid-April and the five games and championship. We’re going on what we were told in the fall, playing sometime in late spring.”

Kellar said they honestly didn’t have many issues with COVID-19 and only a few players aren’t expected back with the G-men.

“We were good here. We had over 100-some on the roster. I practiced like 95 all fall,” said the coach.

“We had a couple seniors that will graduate and move on, which I don’t blame them at all. There’s no hard feelings on our end.”

Along with following all the protocols, which includes temperature checks and random testing, things were fairly normal on the GSC campus, aside from not playing football.

“We had so many freshmen and we were so young our freshmen were just glad to get started with their college career and start taking classes, get taught football and meet new people and lift,” Kellar added.

“We were so freshman oriented I think for those guys it may be one of the better things. For a few seniors we had, it breaks my heart they didn’t get to finish their year and play ball. Some of them are so far along academically it didn’t make sense.”

Kellar said he spent much of last week doing one-on-one exit meetings and is just looking forward to hopefully playing football against other teams in the near future.

“I’ve met with every player individually,” said the coach. “I got more positive reviews about their excitement for what’s going on and the direction we are headed then I probably ever have.

“They weren’t all pretty. For everything that’s happened, I know in my coaching career it’s the most challenging semester I’ve ever been a part of. It went pretty well.”

Contact Jay Bennett at jbennett@newsandsentinel.com

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