CAIRO — The Cairo Syrupmakers will have to wait another week to start its 2021 season.

Fitzgerald, the Syrupmakers’ scheduled opponent for Friday, is going through COVID-19 protocols, so the game had to be postponed.

The game will now be played on Friday, Sept. 17. It will still be in Fitzgerald.

This is the second straight week Cairo has had to deal with an opponent going through COVID-19 protocols. Mitchell County was scheduled to play a preseason scrimmage at West Thomas Stadium last Friday.

“We have prepared two weeks in a row for teams that canceled,” Cairo coach Steve DeVoursney said. “There has been a lot of work for nothing.”

The Syrupmakers’ season opener will now be at home against Brooks County on Aug. 27.

“I would have liked to get those first-game kinks out of the way,” DeVoursney said. “But we will deal with it.”

The loss of the off week on Sept. 17 will force Cairo to open the season with seven straight games before an off week in mid-October.

After Brooks County, Cairo visits Thomasville (Sept. 3), hosts Escambia (Fla., Sept. 10), visits Fitzgerald (Sept. 17), hosts Merritt Island (Fla., Sept. 24), hosts Bainbridge (Oct. 1) and visits Monroe (Oct. 8).

After a week off on Oct. 15, the Syrupmakers host Thomas County on Oct. 22, then visit Dougherty on Oct. 28 and Westover on Nov. 4.

Kevin Price can be reached at 229-226-2400, ext. 1820