MARTINS FERRY — In most normal years, a season opener at Martins Ferry’s Dave Bruney Football Complex, pitting the Purple Riders against Shadyside would be one of the bigger crowds of the season.

The two meet Friday night as prep football returns, but that’s the only normal part of the equation.

Martins Ferry Superintendent Jim Fogle and Director of Athletics Mark Cook laid out the plans the Purple Riders will be implementing for this football season, which has significant attendance restrictions and social distancing policies to fall in line with Gov. Mike DeWine’s mandates as Ohio plays sports amid the global COVID-19 pandemic.

“Our main goal is for the kids to be able to participate and compete in their sports or play in the band,” Fogle said. “These types of activities are huge parts of the high-school experience.”

The players will play, cheerleaders will cheer and the Purple Riders band will play. But, they’ll do so in front of family and close friends only.

One of the stipulations DeWine laid out last week in allowing contact sports to move forward was that attendance be limited to 15 percent of the stadium’s capacity, which at the Bruney Football Complex equates to 833 of the 5,550 capacity.

“I’ve received some calls (of concerns from fans), but what I’ve told people is that this (season) is about our kids,” Fogle said. “We have the guidelines we have to follow and there are going to be people out (around the state) checking to make sure we’re following those guidelines to the fullest extent. These events are for our kids.”

Each Purple Rider football player, cheerleader and band member — regardless of class — was allowed to purchase up to five tickets for his or her family. Those participants were asked to return their ticket requests by Tuesday.

“Once we get the number of tickets, each kid will receive an envelope with their tickets,” Cook said.

Should some participant not need or want his or her entire allotment of tickets, a pool of remaining tickets will be formed for a second request.

“From that second pool, we’ll take a look at other requests and see what we have left,” Cook said.

Cook delivered tickets to Shadyside Director of Athletics John Triveri on Monday and each of their players and cheerleaders will be allowed to purchase up to four tickets. Per OHSAA, the visiting marching bands aren’t traveling this season.

“There will be no tickets sold at the gate,” Cook offered.

Along with the limited fans, “game-essential personnel” will also be permitted into the contest as in years past.

“We put together a list of essential staff,” Fogle said. “These are people, who regardless of how many people are allowed to view the game as far as spectators are concerned, have to be in the facility to pull the game off.”

Both Fogle and Cook saw the video from a football game in Utah that went viral over the weekend on social media. During the clip, the school’s athletic director ordered the officials to stop the game. He then took the microphone and ordered the spectators to spread a part and put their masks on.

“We hope it doesn’t get to something like that,” Fogle said. “My message to our fans, who will be in attendance, and they are supposed to be family and friends of our participants is that they are there for the kids. We ask them to do what they’re supposed to do and comply with the rules.”

Gates at the stadium will open at 6 p.m. and certain rows will be marked off to make sure social distancing guidelines are met.

“I have to give credit to Mr. Cook, our athletic director,” Fogle said. “We had a very short amount of time to come up with a plan and he took the lead on this end of the re-start plan.”