State decision leaves plenty of question-marks for high school fall sports schedules, games

It’s back to the drawing board for area high school athletic directors and leagues which now face a major rescheduling task as the result of today’s decision by the New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) to push the start of the fall sports season back by a full month.

Practice for the fall sports including football, boys and girls soccer, field hockey, volleyball, golf and cross-country, had been scheduled to begin on August 24.

However, today’s decision has pushed that first practice date back almost a full month  to September 21.

“We’re going to have to completely reset the schedule,” said Lyndonville Athletic Director Jim Zeliff.

“We have to re-evaluate things, We have to go back to the drawing board,” said Albion Athletic Director Adam Krenning.

Since football is required to have 10 practices before the first game that would put the season opening gridiron contests back until at least October 1. The other sports need only six practices meaning soccer games could begin by September 28.

However, if a spike in the Covid-19 case rate happens and interrupts the fall season then the NYSPHSAA  has a plan to play three condensed sports seasons beginning on January 4. Those three 10 week seasons would begin with the winter season sports and be followed by the fall sports and then the spring sports.

“It’s not ideal but hopefully we can get the seasons in even if they are condensed,” said Zeliff.

“It’s one of those things. We’re just going to take it one day at a time and hope we can get the Covid-19 under control so we can get the seasons in,” said Krenning. “The kids and the community really look forward to the fall sports season.”