With high temperatures reaching into the 100s, school districts across the Sacramento area stepped in to help athletes, staff and parents beat the heat.

Friday marks the start of high school football season for many schools. But high heat lingered into the evening late enough to impact the games.

To help with those heat impacts, several schools pushed back start times to their games. 

River City High School in West Sacramento pushed back the kickoff of their junior varsity game to 6 p.m., with varsity kickoff at 8 p.m. Schools from Placer down to San Joaquin County also pushed back their start times.

"It's very hot, humid, but not too bad. The sun is going to go down so it'll get cooler through the night," said student Ariana Bedoya at the River City game Friday night.   

Fans of the Raiders were ready to cheer them on, despite the soaring temperatures -- grateful the game's start times were pushed back. 

"It was so hot when we first got here, but it's starting to cool down. Rain, snow heat, I don't care! We are here for him," said River City fan Joann Martinez. 

When the RCHS junior varsity team took the field to warm up Friday, it was 103 degrees in West Sacramento. 

"This is so hard for the boys but look at them, already on the field. Lots of water, trying to stay as cool as they can," said senior mom Sarah Geivett.   

Just last year, a new law went into effect in California to help address heat concerns. Schools now need to have a written emergency action plan when it comes to emergencies like heat-related illnesses.

The California Interscholastic Federation has also mandated new rules requiring schools to use a heat-measuring tool called a wet bulb thermometer to determine how safe it is for students to play.

"On the wet bulb, we're at 71.1. We are in the clear. Anything below 82 we are safe, good to go," said Brittany Adame, RCHS Athletic Director. "At the end of the day, we want them to have fun. We want them to have an enjoyable time, our fans to be happy, everyone safe. We want a great night for football." 

It's advised that people stay well hydrated, stay out of the sun, and stay in well-air-conditioned areas when possible.