Due to updated COVID-19 protocols in Mesa County, the Summit High School football team will now travel to Frederick rather than Grand Junction on Thursday to take on its fourth opponent of the season.

Summit — 1-2 after a Saturday afternoon loss at Fort Morgan High School — will now take on Frederick High School at 5:30 p.m. on Thursday in Frederick. The Tigers were previously scheduled to play Central High School in Grand Junction, but due to a change in Mesa County’s public health status, Central High School is no longer able to play Thursday.

The Central game was added to Summit’s schedule after three Tigers games in the middle of the season were canceled due to the novel coronavirus. Due to Weld County public health restrictions, no spectators will be allowed at Thursday’s game.

The Tigers hadn’t played for almost a month before Saturday’s game at Fort Morgan, with games versus Palisade, Battle Mountain and Evergreen canceled due to COVID-19. Because of Summit County’s public health rules, Summit won’t play another home game this season.

After the Colorado High School Activities Association ultimately left it up to individual districts to choose when they wanted to play football, the Tigers opted for a shortened season in the fall. That decision by Summit came after the pandemic originally rescheduled the statewide football season from fall to spring.