IRONTON, Ohio (WSAZ) – If you were at the Ironton vs. Wheelersburg game Friday, along with a big win, you may have noticed some of the jerseys weren’t the brand new ones Ironton fans were expecting. Football coach and athletic director Trevon Pendleton says supply chain issues have half of their new uniforms stuck in the mail.

“There is a big wait time on helmets and shoulder pads. They’re just struggling to get them in, they’re so far behind on orders,” Pendleton said.

Players ended up wearing jerseys from last year, and Pendleton says they had to scramble to make some duplicates so everyone had a jersey.

“Going forward, I think the kids are going to want to be in the jerseys that we got,” Pendleton said. “They’re really excited for that, and we’re excited for them to be in them also.”

Stepping onto the field for a new season, players want to put their best foot forward. Not having all of their equipment in can be frustrating, and Coach Pendleton says it’s happening all over the country.

“I’m on an AD email blast and daily you see people asking, ‘Hey does anybody have helmets we can buy, borrow, whatever,’” Pendleton said. “It’s really great on the other side of it. You see a lot of people coming together, working together to get the kids on the field, which is the ultimate goal.”

As long as kids are on the field playing, Pendleton says he’s happy because at this point, all he can do is wait. He says it’s out of everyone’s control.

“People have to understand you’ve got to get these things in as quick as you can in a timely manner, then you’ve got to be patient,” Pendleton said. “You’ve just got to make do until you can get the stuff in.”

As the athletic director, Pendleton is over all sports at Ironton High School and he says the supply chain is causing problems for all of them.

Football teams have been impacted the most, as they have the most equipment.

Copyright 2022 WSAZ. All rights reserved.