High School Football Kicks Off in Utah with Masked Refs, Coaches, Cheerleaders

High school football is officially underway in Utah -- where two teams faced off for the first time this year despite the looming pandemic.

The Herriman Mustangs took on the Davis Darts on Thursday in a stadium that was only filled to 25% of capacity in order to allow fans to keep a safe distance. All fans were required to mask up.

On the field, coaches, refs and other essential personnel wore neck gaiters to cover their mouths and noses while interacting with the players and each other.

The cheerleaders were allowed on-site too -- again, everyone wearing a mask.

Although some of the players wore masks during warm-ups, they were NOT required during the game and it doesn't appear anyone wore one after the opening kick off.

School officials said extra staff and security were brought on to make sure everyone was in compliance with the COVID-19 protocols.

In the end, Davis emerged victorious in a 24-20 nailbiter -- with running back Spencer Ferguson rushing for 197 yards and a TD.

It was an interesting site considering several states have postponed high school football due to the pandemic -- including Arizona, California, New York, New Jersey and more.

Of course, college football is divided -- with the PAC-12 and Big Ten also pushing to the spring.