WT head football coach on season opener this weekend

AMARILLO, Texas (KFDA) - WTAMU football kicks off this Saturday with a home game against Oklahoma Panhandle State.

The Chat spoke with the university’s head coach Hunter Hughes this morning on what to expect from the first game of the season, given the pandemic and current political climate.

“We’re very careful and conscientious about what we do and how we do it," said Hughes.

Hughes praised the efforts of coaches, training staff and the team in ensuring the games are as safe as possible. He said the toughest challenge the team is facing this year is adapting to changes brought about because of the pandemic

“I’d say the toughest challenge has been dealing with what you have to do, symptom checks and stuff like that, to adapt to the new era," said Hughes. "COVID has something to do with it, but what’s going on socially in our country (too),” he said.

With various sports teams across the country taking moments of silence or kneeling during the national anthem as a way to ‘stand against racial injustice’, we asked Hughes if he knew of any plan to participate in such a way during the WT game Saturday.

“We took a vote as a team and every player during the national anthem will have their individual right to do what they choose,” he said.

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