The Berthoud High School (BHS) football team will host a foundation game against Arvada on Friday night, Aug. 20 against Arvada High School with kickoff set for 7 p.m. The game will in almost every way mimic a regular-season game with a full complement of officials, a running clock and full gameday rules.

For a high school team, a foundation game is akin to a preseason game, or a “dress rehearsal” for the regular season that helps to prepare the two teams for the regular season. After more than a year of uncertainly and upheaval brought about by the pandemic, the game bears significant weight for both the hometown Spartans as well as for visiting Arvada.

“I think the term ‘dress rehearsal’ is key,” said Berthoud High Head Football Coach, Cory Ticnor. “We felt it was important to have that after the last season with the hunger for football our town has and it is really going to lead us to have that game-like scrimmage on the 20^th and then build to Fort Lupton for our season-opener.”

The preseason game against Arvada on Aug. 20 will not only will help prepare the Spartans for the upcoming season but will represent the first game held at the recently renovated Max Marr Stadium that will feature a full-capacity crowd.

The benefit of having the full complement of fans, friends, families and supporters in the stands will help enhance the community aspect that high school football represents. “One of the things I’ve gained, as the leader of this program, is perspective,” Ticnor said. “When you lose a lot of your school year and you have an abnormal football season and then you get the chance to resume that, like we have been able to this spring and this summer, it just reminds you of how important the football season is, not just for us but for all of Berthoud.”

The foundation game will kick off a year where the Spartans will hold a whopping seven games at home. The home-heavy schedule is due in part to a shortage of high school officials and also in part to the regular biannual league schedule rotation. Having the seven home games, with all (hopefully) able to host full-capacity crowds, will help BHS generate much-needed gate revenue, which provides for equipment, travel expenses and other costs, most of which are not covered by public high school athletic budgets.

Furthering the effort to help generate the funds needed to cover the costs of football are the Berthoud Backers, named as such as a play on words for the commonly used football term “‘backers,” short for linebackers.

“They’ve done a lot of work for us this summer to help the football team get to where need to be to have a bonafide program financially,” Ticnor said of the Berthoud Backers. Further information on the program can be found by emailing [email protected].

BHS 2021 Varsity Football Schedule

Bold = home games at Max Marr Stadium at BHS

Friday Aug. 20 Berthoud vs. Arvada (foundation game), 7 p.m.

Friday Aug. 27 Berthoud vs. Ft Lupton, 7 p.m.

Bye Week

Friday Sept. 10 Berthoud at Woodland Park, 7 p.m.

Friday Sept. 17 Berthoud vs. Thompson Valley, 7 p.m.

Friday Sept. 24 Berthoud vs. Platte Valley, 7 p.m.

Friday Oct. 1 Berthoud at Resurrection Christian, 7 p.m.

Friday Oct. 8 Berthoud vs. Severance, 7 p.m. (homecoming)

Saturday Oct. 16 Berthoud at The Academy, 2 p.m. (@North Star Stadium)

Saturday, Oct. 23, Berthoud vs. University, 1 p.m.

Saturday, Oct 30, Berthoud vs. Eaton, 1 p.m.