Iowa City Community School District\u00a0had to suspend fall sports in September because it was using online-only learning in response to COVID-19.
NORTH LIBERTY, Ia. — Yeah, Iowa City Liberty got stomped by Cedar Rapids Prairie. Yeah, the 48-14 loss wasn’t exactly a dream scenario for the Lightning seniors’ final home game of their high school careers. Yeah, it was also the first Friday night of the year where fans were rudely reminded that Iowa is, in fact, a cold state. But, really, none of that mattered. Liberty was just excited to be back on the field. Friday night’s game in North Liberty was the first Iowa City Community School District football game played in Johnson County since Sept.5, when ICCSD had to suspend fall sports because it was using online-only learning in response to the COVID-19 outbreak. «As much as that one wasn’t fun, it was a lot better than the last three Friday nights we had,» Liberty coach Jeff Gordon said. «Just really proud of our seniors tonight.» Iowa City High also returned to action Friday night with a 50-36 loss at Linn-Mar. Iowa City West officially resumed ICCSD football Thursday night when it beat Dubuque Senior 35-23 on the road. So… what were those last three Friday nights without football like? How did it feel watching the rest of the state — except Des Moines Public Schools — play, even including neighboring schools, such as Iowa City Regina, West Branch and Solon? «I don’t know really what to compare it to except it felt a lot like when you didn’t get the job you wanted and it broke your heart, or when the girl didn’t want to go to the dance with you and it broke your heart,» Gordon said.
