>> FISHERS PUNTING. MCGUIRE GRAYBELL GETS A HAND ON IT, BLOCKS HIS SECOND KICK OF THE GAME. IT TURNS INTO ANOTHER
WESTFIELD TD. BOY THE ROCKS ARE ROLLING 45-6 IS THE FINAL. THE FACT THAT SPORTS DIRECTOR ANTHONY CALHOUN AND OUR PARTNERS
AT WISH-TV HAVE BEEN ABLE TO SHARE HIGHLIGHTS OF CENTRAL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL FOOTBALL GAMES DURING THE PANDEMIC IS
SOMETHING THAT MANY PEOPLE DOUBTED WOULD HAPPEN SIX MONTHS AGO. INDEED, NOT ONLY FOOTBALL, BUT
ALL FALL INDIANA HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RESUME PLAY AND THEY ARE NOW CONCLUDING, IN THE MIDST, OR
MOVING TOWARD DETERMINING CHAMPIONSHIPS. BILL BENNER HAS MORE IN THIS WEEK'S INSIDE INDIANA SPORTS. BILL.
>> GERRY, THANK YOU. IT DID APPEAR SOMEWHAT IMPROBABLE THAT HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS COULD CONDUCT
REGULAR SEASON AND CHAMPIONSHIP COMPETITIONS. BUT EVEN WITH OCCASIONAL COVID RELATED POSTPONEMENTS AND SCHEDULE
ADJUSTMENTS, THE SEASONS HAVE UNFOLDED REMARKABLY WELL. AND JOINING US TODAY TO DISCUSS IS IHSAA COMMISSIONER PAUL
NADIG. COMMISSIONER, THANKS FOR BEING WITH US. >> BILL, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE INVITE. IT'S ALWAYS MY
PLEASURE TO JOIN YOU GUYS AND TALK ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ACROSS OUR STATE. >> WELL, AND AGAIN, THE FACT
THAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS VERY, VERY ENCOURAGING, AND AGAIN, AS I MENTIONED, THERE HAS BEEN
POSTPONEMENTS, SOME OCCASIONAL ISSUES, BUT REMARKABLY, THE SEASON, ALL THE SEASONS IN THE VARIOUS SPORTS HAVE UNFOLDED
PRETTY WELL. >> YOU KNOW, THEY HAVE. AND IF WE COULD HAVE ANTICIPATED WHAT THAT WAS GOING TO LOOK LIKE IN
THE SUMMER, I THINK THIS IS WHAT WE THOUGHT IT WAS GOING TO BE, THIS IS WHAT WE HOPED IT WAS GOING TO BE. AND IT'S CERTAINLY
BEEN THAT WAY. WE'VE HAD ABOUT 95% OF OUR TEAMS HAVE PLAYED WEEK IN AND WEEK OUT, AND THE REALITY OF IT IS WE'VE HAD MORE
TEAMS AVAILABLE TO PLAY, THEY JUST WEREN'T ABLE TO MAKE A MATCH-UP WORK, WHETHER GEOGRAPHICALLY, SCHOOL SIZE,
WHATEVER THAT IS. FAR AND AWAY THE MAJORITY OF OUR TEAMS IN THE STATE HAVE PLAYED AND CONTINUE TO PLAY. WE'RE IN THE
TOURNAMENT. >> PAUL, AGAIN, YOU REALLY HAVE TO GIVE CREDIT TO THE LOCAL SCHOOL CORPORATIONS AND THE
COMMUNITIES WHO HAVE DONE EVERYTHING AS PROACTIVELY AS THEY CAN TO GET THROUGH THIS. >> ABSOLUTELY. WE TRY TO
CELEBRATE OUR SCHOOL PEOPLE ON A DAILY BASIS HERE. THERE'S NO QUESTION THAT THE REAL WORK BEING DONE IS AT THE SCHOOL
LEVEL. THEY HAVE TO DO THE CONTACT TRACING, MAKE SURE THE FACILITIES ARE CLEAN, MAKE SURE THE KIDS ARE IN THEIR PODS. SO
THEY CAN TRACE AFTERWARDS AND MAKE SURE THEY'RE MASKED UP AND TAKE TIPS AND ASK THE QUESTIONS, AND THEY DO ALL THE WORK. AND
IT'S AN EVER CHANGING ENVIRONMENT FOR THEM. IT'S NOT ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT YOU FIGURE OUT WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO
DO AND YOU KEEP DOING THAT UNTIL THE END OF THE YEAR. THEY HAVE TO CONSTANTLY ADJUST BASED UPON WHAT'S GOING ON IN THEIR
COMMUNITIES, AND WE'RE SEEING THAT THIS WEEK WITH EVERYTHING ON THE RISE A LITTLE BIT HERE IN THE STATE OF INDIANA, AND OUR
SCHOOLS ARE STEPPING UP, ADJUSTING PROTOCOLS SO THEY CAN OPERATE SAFER THAN THEY EVER HAVE BEFORE.
>> OF COURSE, FOOTBALL IS SO IMPORTANT TO COMMUNITIES, AND THE LOCAL HIGH SCHOOLS, BECAUSE IT BRINGS IN REVENUE NOT THE
LEVEL OF REVENUE THEY'VE EXPERIENCED IN THE PAST CERTAINLY, AND NOW WE'RE GETTING READY TO MOVE TOWARD THE
PLAYOFFS. SO THAT'S ALSO VERY ENCOURAGING. >> IT IS. WE'RE PLAYING WEEK NINE COMING UP THIS FRIDAY
NIGHT. AND ONCE WE GET THROUGH THIS WEEK THEN WE'LL HAVE ALL OF OUR FALL SPORTS -- TEAMS IN TOURNAMENT SEASON AND WE'RE
HAPPY TO BE THERE. CERTAINLY REVENUE IS SOMETHING THAT WE HAVE TO ADDRESS, WE HAVE TO HAVE MONEY TO PAY OFFICIALS, AND BUY
UNIFORMS AND DO THINGS FOR KIDS. BUT THE BEST THING ABOUT THIS IS TIME HONORED TRADITION OF SHOWING UP ON A FRIDAY NIGHT,
SOCCER UNIFORM, HAVING YOUR SCHOOL NAME ACROSS YOUR CHEST AND BEING ABLE TO WEAR THAT AND CELEBRATE THAT AND SUPPORT THAT.
THAT'S SUCH A SMALL AMOUNT OF TIME IN YOUR LIFE THAT YOU GET THE OPPORTUNITY TO DO THAT. AND I DID THAT WHEN I WAS A HIGH
SCHOOL STUDENT AND A LOT OF US DID, AND THOSE ARE MEMORIES THAT YOU CANNOT RECREATE. AND YOU HAVE TO DO EVERYTHING WE CAN SO
KIDS GET THAT OPPORTUNITY TO DEVELOP THAT MEMORY THAT WILL TAKE THEM THROUGH THE REST OF THEIR LIFE, AND WE'RE VERY HAPPY
THAT KIDS CAN GET THAT. >> AND PAUL, JUST TO MAKE SURE, LUCAS OIL STADIUM WILL STILL HOPEFULLY BE THE VENUE FOR THE
UPCOMING CHAMPIONSHIP WEEKEND OVER THANKSGIVING, CORRECT? >> IT IS. AND COMMISSIONER -- ASSISTANT
COMMISSIONER FALL CONS HAS BEEN WORKING WITH LUCAS OIL. WILL CONTINUE TO MEET UNTIL TOURNAMENT TIME. AGAIN, IT'S A
FLUID SITUATION, WE'LL CONTINUE TO ADJUST. WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN A LOT OF THINGS FROM WHAT THEY'RE DOING
THERE, AND WE'RE GOING TO USE SOME THINGS LEARNED, AND WHEN THEY OPERATE GAMES AND WE'LL APPLY THAT TO THE STATE
CHAMPIONSHIP. >> COMMISSIONER, I KNOW THIS WEEKEND THE CALENDAR DOESN'T STOP, YOU WILL BE LOOKING
FORWARD TO PUTTING OUT SOME GUIDELINES FOR THE UPCOMING WINTER SPORT'S SEASON INCLUDING BASKETBALL, OF COURSE.
>> YES. WE'VE HAD A GREAT PARTNERSHIP WITH THE STATE HEALTH DEPARTMENT AND AS A MATTER OF FACT I HAVE A PHONE
CALL WITH DR. BOX AND HER TEAM EARLIER THIS MORNING, THEY'RE LOOKING AT WINTER GUIDANCE THAT THE STAFF PUT TOGETHER. ONCE WE
GET FINAL -- ONCE THEY GET A CHANCE TO REVIEW THAT, WE'LL BE PUSHING THAT OUT TO SCHOOLS. WHAT WE'RE PUSHING OUT NOW IS
SPORTS SPECIFIC, HOW YOU CAN OPERATE A WRESTLING PROGRAM OR A BASKETBALL GAME AND ALSO GYMNASTICS AND SWIMMING ARE
INCLUDED IN THE INFORMATION WE'LL BE PUSHING OUT. HOPEFULLY HITS OUR SCHOOLS TOMORROW. >> PAUL, APPRECIATE YOU COMING
ON THE SHOW, HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS SO IMPORTANT, ONE OF THE TIES THAT BINDS US ALL TOGETHER. AND SO WE WISH YOU THE BEST MOVING
FORWARD, AND THANKS FOR BEING WITH US, GOOD LUCK GOING GO FORWARD. >> THANK YOU VERY MUCH, BILL,
THANK YOU FOR DOING WHAT YOU DO TO PROMOTE HIGH SCHOOL ATHLETICS ACROSS OUR STATE. >> APPRECIATE IT. PAUL NEIDIG,