One could argue that starting at that time carries some symbolism considering the COVID-19 pandemic. Health concerns amid the ongoing pandemic forced the 2019-20 basketball season to end two games short at state basketball tournaments in March and then completely shut down spring sports nearly nationwide.

Fast forward to this week.

Sara Poje Schmidt’s squad took to the court at midnight Monday morning, continuing a tradition of some THS teams in recent years of starting the season when the calendar officially turns to the first day of fall sports practice for Kansas high schools.

The THS alum has been an assistant the last few years at her alma mater, but took over in the offseason after fellow alum Chrissie Jeannin stepped down as head coach.

Schmidt said her squad had 30 girls at tryouts Monday morning.

THS boys soccer started the season a few hours later on the Beatty Field turf as Jon Orndorff leads the squad for another season. The squad worked out at the district stadium on a pleasant morning weather-wise for Kansas in August.

Al Troyer’s football team started its first practice of the season a bit later Monday afternoon, while Doug Sandburg’s girls golf team also opened the season Monday.

The Tonganoxie High cross country teams started the midnight run tradition a few years ago and then other fall sports teams followed, but John Tollefson’s squad is starting the season with practices Thursday instead of Monday. Coaches were finishing up quarantine periods per school district protocol due to potential COVID-19 exposure earlier this week, so the start of the cross country season was delayed slightly.

The fall teams have their competition schedules, but like everything during the pandemic, those times, dates and locations are subject to change.

Wyandotte County has canceled contact sports for the fall, so that could affect Tonganoxie meetings with Piper, a fellow Frontier League member, in football and soccer.

Season openers currently are scheduled for Aug. 28 against Kansas City Christian in Prairie Village, Aug. 31 for girls golf at the Ottawa Invitational, Sept. 1 for volleyball at De Soto, Sept. 4 for football at Basehor-Linwood and Sept. 5 for cross country at Lansing.