They used to call it pass interference. Then they called it a pick play. Now since it’s so ingrained into the game - gotta get those receivers open one way or another - they call it a rub play. Rub play. Somehow that seems more acceptable, I guess.

Anyway, that’s what Huskerland is doing to this COVID-19 mess. After facing some really annoying - and it feels illegal - bump-and-run coverage beginning today Huskerland is running a go route against the outbreak, hitting the cut hard, then rubbing off all our societal worries long enough to help all us enjoy talking some high school football.

Hopefully you, our faithful Huskerland audience, doesn’t throw a challenge flag. (wink)

Here in a bit we will publish the first of our true 2020 high school football team previews. And as we go along we will mix in a lot of the usual stuff, including coaching features, a look back at our 2019 state champion teams, our list of top games and top players, all of that. Even though much of society, especially in our schools, has been paralyzed by this outbreak it’s still safe and warm here in the world of Nebraska high school football.

Glad you came along for the ride.

There has never been a situation like this in my lifetime, yours too, where schools, and by extension football programs, have been put on the shelf for weeks at a time. It’s real likely there will be no spring sports in our state, many states, and try as they might football coaches are only able to do so much training and prep with their athletes as we let this thing play itself out.

Disruption to the norm, changes in the regular schedule, will certainly throw a guy off, I’ve seen it for myself. But as I stated earlier we at Huskerland are preparing for the 2020 football as usual - I hesitate to use the term “normal” at a time like this - and that means we are collecting all the intel we need to publish our annual preview magazine. To review, we need to have the magazine manuscript to our publisher by the second week of July in order to get it back by August 1 and that’s what we have done woe these many years.

Before I go any further let me say this - you can count on these football coaching friends of mine. I know I can. When it comes to getting me the needed forms, as well as getting them to my friends at The World-Herald and The Journal-Star, as well as all other local media outlets, I know we will get what we need. Over the past five years in particular we have had nearly 100 percent return on those forms, missing only four of them during that time.

* Of course, the sooner the better with the forms as basically everything we publish - the team previews, top tens, top games, top players - is tied to me having those forms. Basically everything.

Basically everything except the in-person, one-on-one player feature stories which are my personal Huskerland favorite of any calendar year. Not only do I get the chance to interview Johnny in person, but his coach is there, I get to travel to their hometown and spend a little time getting to know these guys. It’s a very rewarding part of my Huskerland life.

As we commence our 2020 campaign Huskerland Prep Report has published 2,875 player feature stories in our 30 years of existence, stories including over 3,200 players since we have done many stories about multiple athletes in one story. Within that Huskerland has published 481 player feature stories in our football preview magazines over that span, stories that represent 258 schools. (As a point of reference there are 275 football programs this season.)

I look very much forward to adding to those lists between now and the start of the season. And I will. Just not sure when, or by how many.

In recent years, since the outbreak of the @HuskerlandBob phenomenon - there IS a phenomenon, right? - I have also enjoyed many campus visits, shooting those crazy little videos for use on Twitter and on our website. Not sure how many of those we will get to do this summer but I am hopeful because they are fun, both for the players and for me. And hopefully you, since the kids always do a great job in those things.

I am not in the pandemic prediction business - which is good news for you, given my record in the football prediction business - but I can tell you this, Coach, we will give you all we have over coming months. We take them one at a time here at Huskerland - we absolutely do not take them one at a time, but whatever - so we will treat our next opponent, er, preseason magazine and related coverage like we have every other one.

Hope you enjoy the football talk and thanks for your ongoing support of Huskerland Prep Report and all we try to do.