The PIAA Board of Directors on Wednesday approved its ‘Return to Competition’ guidelines for all fall sports.

The state’s governing sports body, using current Pa. Dept. of Health and CDC guidelines, as well as recommendations from multiple in-house committees, issued its sport-specific considerations in a 25-page document.

“Based on currently known information, the PIAA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee believes that STRICT ADHERENCE by schools and teams to their school-adopted plans and the Governor’s School Sports Guidance should provide a reasonably safe environment for student-athletes to participate in interscholastic athletics as currently scheduled,” states the PIAA in the Return to Competition guidelines.

Return to Competition Guidelines – Protect Yourself, Protect Others, Protect the Season: https://t.co/1l4yQOc4uT

— PIAA (@PIAASports) July 29, 2020

Below are the most notable takeaways from the guidelines:

• Along with daily health assessments, hand washing/sanitization requirements and social distancing, the ‘general considerations’ call for all coaches, athletes and spectators (if permitted) to wear face coverings unless maintaining consistent six feet separation. Athletes are not required to wear face coverings while actively engaged in workouts and competition.

• Consider conducting workouts in “pods” of same students always training and rotating together in practice to ensure more limited exposure if someone develops an infection.

• Coaches should limit game day squad sizes for social distancing purposes.

• At this time spectators for K-12 events are not allowed. The Preliminary School Sports Guidance document which was released by the Governor’s Office states that, “The addition of visitors and spectators will be contingent upon future health conditions within the state and local communities.” The PIAA states that it expects additional information from the Governor’s Office and Department of Education on the subject.

Cross Country

• Schools are encouraged to limit team participants to 12 or fewer for meets involving four or fewer teams.

• Staggered, wave or interval starts are encouraged, and schools should look at widening courses by 6 feet at the narrowest points.

Field hockey

• The PIAA encourages more bench space, no handshakes, ball individuals using gloves or extra balls placed around the field of play, and a designated space for players who are carded that is socially distant from the officials table. Pregame introduction lines are discouraged.

• Face coverings, gloves and goggles are allowed, but players should not share masks for penalty corners.

Football

• The team box on each sideline can be extended to both 10-yard lines for increased social distancing, and teams should reduce game rosters as much as possible.

• The PIAA recommends teams promote the use of clear plastic face shields on helmets. Cloth face masks are also permitted.

• Encourage fewer offensive and defensive huddles and encourage coaching staffs to utilize other methods of communication with players (such as signals, cards, signs) to minimize grouping.

Golf

• Normal golf group sizes are permitted, but social distancing must be maintained. It is also recommended the number of golfers in a match be limited, start times be staggered at least 12 minutes for groups of three and 15 minutes for groups of four, and everyone tees off from the same starting hole.

Soccer

• As with football and field hockey, any ball boys or girls should be socially distanced and wear gloves.

• Teams bench areas may be expanded to increase social distancing.

• There is to be no introduction line prior to games, and players should head immediately to their starting positions on the field. Any halftime, pre-game and post-game team meetings should be conducted off the field, and there are to be no post-game handshakes.

Tennis

• The PIAA encourages using 4-6 balls per match with player/team-specific sets, returning the ball to the opponent with use of the racquet or foot.

Volleyball

• Teams are not to switch sides between sets, and bench areas can be expanded for social distancing purposes. Substitutions are encouraged close to the attack line, with 6 feet of distance between players and the official.

Water polo

• Team benches should be placed on opposite sides of the pool. For social distancing, substitute players can be in the water behind the goal line if there is space, and coaches can be behind the goal line in the team area when the team is on defense.

High School student-athletes, parents and coaches in Chester County will have to wait at least one more day to receive a definitive decision on whether the 2020 fall season is going to take place in the midst of a global pandemic.

Or things could continue to remain in limbo as state officials and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) take turns addressing the issue with ambiguous statements, seemingly waiting for the other to make the ultimate call.

During a Thursday press conference, when asked about the fate of the upcoming season, Gov. Tom Wolf said that all high school sports should be pushed back to the 2021 calendar year.

“The guidance is that we ought to avoid any congregate settings,” he said. “And that means anything that brings people together is going to help that virus get us and we ought to do everything we can to defeat that virus. So any time we get together for any reason, that’s a problem because it makes it easier for that virus to spread.”

A later joint press release from the state’s Department of Health and Department of Education said that the Wolf administration is providing a strong recommendation, but not an order or mandate, and that school administrators and locally elected school boards should make the decisions on sports.

It prompted the PIAA Board of Directors to issue the following statement: “Today, Governor Wolf issued a statement of strongly recommending no interscholastic and recreational sports until Jan. 1st. We are tremendously disappointed in this decision. Our member schools have worked diligently to develop health and safety plans to allow students the safe return to interscholastic athletics.”

“The PIAA Board of Directors will meet (Friday) afternoon to review this action. PIAA will have an official statement (then).”

On July 29, the PIAA approved a fall sports schedule to begin on time, but also offered two options to start at a later date with alternate and hybrid plans. Five days later, the Ches-Mont league announced that the start of the fall season would be pushed back from Aug. 28 to Sept. 25, but that each school in the league would have an opportunity to approve the plan.

Another local conference, the Central League (Conestoga), also recently announced plans to delay the start of the season by several weeks.

“It’s all extremely frustrating,” said Unionville girls’ soccer coach Joe Ratasiewicz. “Everything’s in limbo.

“Unionville chose to go with a hybrid of virtual and in-person classes this fall. But it’s different with athletics because most of the sports are outdoors where you can keep distances and you have enough coaches, administrators and training staff to monitor it.

“It seems to me that we should be able to put something together.”

Tensions now appear to be building between state officials and the PIAA. In a statement by Garry Cathell, the executive director of the Pennsylvania Football Coaches Association (PSFCA), he said that the PIAA was given no prior notice of Wolf’s recommendation.

“If all sports are cancelled, the PSFCA will immediately begin conversations to have spring football,” Cathell added in the statement.

“That’s the problem with leadership today, no one wants to stick their neck out and make the decision for the group, they want to pass the buck and point fingers,” added Coatesville head football coach Matt Ortega.

“I think that is what is going on here. All we want is some guidance and a decision.”

When asked if Wolf’s recommendation could signal the end of hopes to compete this fall, Downingtown West tennis coach Justin DePietropaolo said: “I can’t give you a definitive answer. I hope that (the state officials and the PIAA) work together and we can come to an agreement.

“My gut feeling is that they will do what is best for all of the athletes.”

DePietropaolo has been running summer tennis camps in Chester and Delaware counties for the past eight weeks, and believes that protocols adopted through the United States Tennis Association have been successful so far.

“I’ve been working with a lot of kids and we haven’t had any issues,” he said. “Tennis is one of the sports, like cross country and golf, where you can social distance. The tennis community has had some pretty good protocols in place for a while.”

When asked about his gut feeling for the prospects of fall action, Ratasiewicz said that he believes Unionville will be fielding a girls’ soccer team in 2020. But he sees some potential scheduling challenges.

“The Ches-Mont Athletic Directors chose to play league games only, but the problem is what if only half of our league teams are playing?” he said. “I don’t see a problem with crossing over and playing schools from, say, the Central League.”

Another option that has been bandied about among administrators and coaches is the prospects of a piecemeal approach. The idea is that fall sports that are inherently easier to self-distance — like tennis, golf and cross country — would move forward as planned, while others like football or indoor volleyball take a more cautious path. “It would depend on the area you live in,” Ratasiewicz explained. “If you have high percentage of positive cases, you may want to limit it to golf and tennis. If it is a medium range — whatever that may be — you could extend it to soccer and field hockey. And if you are in a pretty clean area, it seems to me that you should be able to do most sports with the safeguards that a required per sport.”

Ortega has heard some of those ideas, but just like the coronavirus itself, there are a lot of questions that are difficult to answer right now.

“What we thought we knew about the virus two months ago is different than what we know now,” he said. “That’s the perplexing thing about this.

“As a football coach, it’s hard for me to say what the outcome would be if we played, but I do know that all of the school districts have done a good job of formulating plans in such a short time period.

“For the last month in a half, we’ve kept it pretty safe but it still hasn’t involved the full-contact piece, which we don’t know how that would look.”

There are also other ideas, like moving all fall sports to the spring, which may end up being the last resort.

“There have been several states that have successfully coordinated that, and I think it can be done,” Ratasiewicz said.

It is all, undoubtedly, a complex challenge to maneuver through, and the only guarantee is that there will be plenty of public push back when the dust settles.

“Last spring was cancelled and if you cancel the fall, the psyche of these kids really starts to be affected,” Ratasiewicz said.

“From the start, it’s been a roller coaster,” Ortega added. “There are days where you feel confident and there are days, like (Thursday), where you get brought back down.”

Ortega is not only a coach but also a parent of a student-athlete. His son, Tommy, is a rising junior at Coatesville who lost his sophomore lacrosse season last spring, and is now faced with an uncertain future in football.

“I can’t imagine what the players are going through, especially the seniors,” he said. “It’s been rough because it’s been very cloudy from the start. I really felt we could have better leadership from day one because things never seemed aligned between the governor and the PIAA.

“I hope it gets resolved soon so that everybody knows what we are dealing with and not have it keep playing out and strung along.”

The ongoing saga between Governor Tom Wolf’s administration and the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) concerning the future of athletics this fall is showing no signs of abating.

A day after Wolf unveiled a “strong recommendation” that all high school sports be postponed until 2021 due to safety concerns from the COVID-19 outbreak, the PIAA convened an impromptu board of directors meeting on Friday.

In a vote of 30-2, the PIAA approved a two-week delay in the start date for practices and contests in order to “… continue to seek a dialog with the administration, the legislature and all athletic stakeholders to obtain clarification on the possibility of safely conducting athletic activities in conjunction with the start of the school year.”

Under the new plan, heat acclimation week for football, as well as the start of workouts for all other fall sports programs, can begin on Aug. 24. The opening date for contests has been moved from Aug. 28 to Sept. 11.  

“We have spoken with a member (of the governor’s staff) and we seem to be going back and forth,” acknowledged PIAA Executive Director Robert Lombardi. “The impetus of the request made is to ask the governor to reconsider.

“The next two weeks we are going to do our darnedest to meet with as many stakeholders as we can, including the (Pennsylvania) General Assembly, and hopefully the staff of the Department of Health, the Department of Education, and the Governor’s office to see if we can collaborate about supporting fall activities.”

For the vast majority of Chester County student-athletes, the PIAA’s latest move is inconsequential because Ches-Mont league athletic directors voted to delay the season nine days ago, with practices to start on Sept. 7 and games to begin on Sept. 25.

“Nothing really changes for us in the Ches-Mont,” said Bishop Shanahan volleyball coach Greg Ashman.

“It really has no impact on us, we are good for (Sept. 7),” Unionville football coach Pat Clark agreed.

“To get to the 11th hour and for this to be the outcome, it is disappointing, and it’s most unfair to the kids. You would think the PIAA would be in contact with the health department and the governor’s office on a regular basis, so nobody should be blindsided. That part is frustrating.”

Lombardi said that Governor Wolf’s Thursday announcement “caught people off-guard.” He said that the PIAA had received numerous phone calls and about 7,500 emails in a 24-hour period since, and described them as intense and from the heart.

“What’s comforting is the amount of intensity, emotion and vigor that people have responded with,” he added.

“I don’t know what (the Wolf Administration) believes. That statement came at the end of a (press conference) and there were no follow-ups. We need to have dialog on where the (Jan. 1, 2021) date came from.”

It appears that the core of the impasse is that neither side seems willing to make the ultimate call. On Thursday, Wolf said that school administrators and locally elected school boards should be making the final decision.

“I’m hopeful in the next two weeks we can have some good dialog with the administration and see if we can make a case for some of our activities,” Lombardi said.

“I don’t think the (PIAA) is kicking the can down the road at all. In a little more than 24 hours, you’re asking a board of directors to make a decision that could negatively impact hundreds of thousands of student-athletes.

“We would like to have full support (from state government), but it was a recommendation, not a mandate. If it was an order, we probably wouldn’t be having the discussion we are having now.”

Like just nearly all local coaches, Ashman would like see a definitive course of action, but he also understands that the decision on whether to play high school sports during a global pandemic is highly problematic.

“I don’t think anybody wants to be the bad guy if a decision is made,” he said. “And I see both sides. Health and safety is the biggest concern and nobody wants to be responsible for any outbreaks. But I also know how important it is for kids to participate in sports.”

Ashman’s program started summer volleyball workouts in early July, but about a week in, a player tested positive for the coronavirus. Ashman decided to shut down the workouts indefinitely. The good news was that nobody else tested positive.

“What that tells me is that everything we were doing worked because the girl that tested positive, she contracted it outside the program,” he explained. “She was unable to bring it into the program because of the protocols we had in place.  

“At some point I think we will do voluntary workouts before tryouts and keep our fingers crossed.”  

With the hopes for a fall season seemingly changing daily, Clark said that even though the uncertainty is disheartening, he believes that the student-athletes are handling it all better than the coaches.

“As coaches, we look at the calendar and try to roll with it,” he said. “But I think that young people are very resilient.”

When asked why there have been so many delays in making a final determination, Lombardi said: “I think you are asking the wrong person.” He also discussed the possibilities of moving fall sports to the spring of 2021, and mentioned the possibility that certain lower-risk sports like golf, tennis and cross country could move forward this fall without the higher-risk sports like football, soccer, field hockey or volleyball.

“Golf, tennis and cross country are being carried on in public and private facilities throughout the commonwealth, and are going off safely,” Lombardi argued. “Why don’t we get the same opportunity? That’s part of the discussion.

“If two or three sports may be having some angst for some folks, then let’s have a discussion so we can address those issues.”

On the subject of a spring model, he said: “(The state legislature) would like to have a discussion to see if they can be of assistance for what we think we can do to get fall sports started. If we can’t, what can we do to hopefully have three sports seasons in some fashion before the end of the (2020-21) school year?”

The next move in what has become a ping-pong match that nobody wants to see now moves the state government. The PIAA Board of Directors next meeting is scheduled for Aug. 21.

“With indoor volleyball, it’s tough to social distance on the court but we can certainly keep kids apart and make sure they are following rules like cleaning hands and wearing facemasks when they are not participating,” Ashman pointed out.

“My gut feeling is that we start the fall season and then at some point we have to stop. But if I had a crystal ball, I wouldn’t be a volleyball coach – I’d be playing the lottery.”

Just as some clarity began to form on the status of high school sports in Pennsylvania and the Mercury area this fall, another wrench was thrown into the attempt to return safely to scholastic extracurricular activities amid coronavirus concerns.

While the Pioneer Athletic Conference and multiple area schools made decisions regarding their prospective seasons, Governor Tom Wolf’s recommendation Thursday to play no sports through Jan. 1 — which came as a surprise to many, including the PIAA — cast doubts about any plans in place.

Those Mercury-area players, coaches and administrators in favor of playing sports this fall are doing their best to prepare for a future that remains unclear and uncertain.

“It’s definitely tough because it’s something that we don’t have any control over what’s going to happen, which is a weird experience,” Spring-Ford senior boys soccer player Matt Dunne said. “The PAC thing we kind of knew it was coming and the Governor thing I think came out of nowhere. To have the PIAA ‘blindsided’, it’s just kind of confusing how they didn’t have the dialogue between each other, especially since they’re supposed to be working with each other the whole time.”

As permitted by the PIAA and state guidelines, area high school teams have been participating in voluntary workouts since as early as the beginning of July under safety protocols put together by their school districts without knowing whether they would have a season or not.

Some measures include athletes wearing masks when not on the field of play, using their own ball during activities and keeping their distance from each other on and off the athletic surfaces when possible.

“They’ve been going very smoothly,” Pottsgrove senior field hockey player Riley Simon said of voluntary workouts. “All athletes are respecting and following the safety guidelines. I think that’s definitely a step in the right direction that we’re proving that we can have sports if we do it in a safe way, if we do it in the correct way.”

Pottsgrove’s Riley Simon (24) is hoping to suit up for the Falcons for the first time since her girls basketball season ended in February. (Austin Hertzog – MediaNews Group)

The first major decision on the status of fall competition came July 29, when the PIAA released its ‘Return to Competition’ guidelines, announcing its plans to move forward with the fall season and putting decisions on when to start the season in the hands of individual schools, leagues and/or conferences.

Governor Wolf’s statement Thursday, which was later jointly recommended by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education, disappointed those who have worked on following guidelines and recommendations set forth by the Center for Disease Control, Governor Wolf, the Department of Health, the PIAA and school districts to prep for a return attempt for safe competition.

In response to Wolf’s statement, the PIAA approved a two-week delay on Friday to the start date for practices and contests (originally intended to begin with heat acclimatization Aug. 10) in order to ‘continue to seek a dialog with the administration, the legislature and all athletic stakeholders to obtain clarification on the possibility of safely conducting athletic activities in conjunction with the start of the school year.’

“We were given a directive by the administration and we followed that directive,” Spring-Ford football coach Chad Brubaker said. “We were wearing masks, we were distancing, we were spraying down things and abiding by all the protocols that not only were local from Spring-Ford but also from the state level. We were abiding by all those things and really did not have any issues.

“From that standpoint, it’s a struggle for our kids who did the right thing, and our coaches who are working without a salary, working without any promise of a salary, things like that. Governor Wolf’s matter of fact statement (Thursday), which was not even the question he was asked, kind of felt like the rug was pulled out from under us and that’s kind of how our kids and most of our staff feels.”

After the league’s principals met Wednesday, the Pioneer Athletic Conference announced Thursday it was pushing back the start of its fall season to Sept. 7 for practices and Sept. 25 for games, giving schools more time to make decisions on the status of their fall seasons.

The Norristown Area School District opted out of fall sports July 30 and the Pottstown School District did the same Thursday, while the Phoenixville Area School District suspended competitions in fall sports, excluding golf, singles tennis and marching band (if it adheres to 20-feet social distancing).

Other school districts like Methacton, which released a statement that it would administratively ‘not support a decision to postpone school and youth athletics until January 2021,’ have plans in place to play sports this fall. Some like Pottsgrove are still waiting to back a definitive decision as they continue to get guidance from the PIAA and the state.

“It’s been a roller coaster. That’s for sure,” Pottsgrove Athletic Director Steve Anspach said. “Things change daily. You get your guidance, then you get your plans approved. Then you get additional guidance or something else is said from the state level or from the government and you adapt and go again. We’ve been fortunate as far as working with our coaches. Our coaches have been great, our student-athletes have been great, our parents have been great, regarding following the voluntary procedures.

“Secondly I would say working with the ADs in our league has been fantastic. We’ve got a tight-knit group of people. We work together and we thrive in saying we turn over every stone and we do our due diligence. We’re constantly learning and adapting to see if we can make it work for our students with focusing on health and safety for them.”

States around the country have made varying decisions on whether to return to scholastic competition or not.

Some have decided to push back fall sports to the winter like the Virginia High School League, which announced July 27 that it postponed all sports until at least Dec. 14 with the intention of playing modified seasons later in the academic year. For example, football season would start in March. The Delaware Interscholastic Athletic Association announced Thursday it’s plans to postpone sports until late December, with the fall season being played in mid-February 2021.

In Colorado, the Colorado High School Activities Association created four seven-week sports seasons, swapping several sports from their typical seasons. Softball teams will take the diamond starting later this month, while football teams will kickoff games in March.

Other states have taken a similar approach to the PAC and PIAA in delaying some or all their fall seasons to start dates in late August or September. The New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association’s ‘Return to Play’ plan involves a Sept. 28 start date for fall competition and a shortened and localized, postseason.

In its press release Friday, the PIAA said it ‘believes that STRICT ADHERENCE by schools and teams to their school-adopted plans and the Governor’s School Sports Guidance should provide a reasonably safe environment for student athletes to participate in interscholastic athletics as currently scheduled.’

“We feel safety is paramount, so I respect how difficult a decision this is for everyone involved, but we certainly feel for our student-athletes and their parents, especially the seniors,” Methacton Athletic Director Paul Spiewak said. “We have a plan that was approved that we are prepared to implement if our conference and the PIAA and the Governor’s office give us the go ahead. As of today, we have a plan to participate under the guidelines that were approved by our school board. We all believe as a conference that we have to prioritize safety for our student-athletes, coaches and game personnel in everything that we do.”

“The patience of our coaches and students throughout this process has been amazing,” he added.

Spring-Ford High School head football coach Chad Brubaker said his team has been strictly adhering to the return protocols put in place. (John Strickler — MediaNews Group File

Though there is an understanding that the safety of student-athletes is at the center of the decision making process, waiting for an official decision to be made has been frustrating for athletes.

The PIAA Board of Directors will meet again on Aug. 21. PAC President and Pottsgrove High School Principal Bill Ziegler said Thursday the league principals will also reconvene within the next two weeks, meaning area athletes will still have to continue to wait for a definitive decision on fall sports.

“I think there’s just a general disappointment with, not anyone specifically because I think it’s such a tough spot,” Dunne said, “but the fact that it seems it’s meeting after meeting and the results of each meeting are another meeting and nothing’s really changing virus-wise. I’m just kind of hoping to get to a point where we have an understanding of what’s going to happen and maybe adapting a plan like they have in Virginia.”

“Yeah it’s hard because all of us together just want a yes or a no answer,” PJP junior football player MJ Petro said. “But I for one, same with everybody on my team, just want a yes answer because I want the oncoming seniors to feel what the seniors felt last year.”

Finding a way for the senior athletes to conclude their careers in some way, shape or form, unlike the 2020 spring athletes who were unable to compete, seems to be right behind safety in terms of utmost importance to all parties involved.

Brubaker, who was part of a Pennsylvania High School Football Coaches Association subcommittee that gave recommendations to the PIAA, is determined to make that happen for his players.

“At the end of the day, we’re going to continue to advocate for some type of season for our seniors,” Brubaker said. “Whether that in two weeks the PIAA comes out and says we’re going to move forward and force Governor Wolf’s decision making or go to the spring and have a two-month season.

“We’re going to continue to advocate for our players because they deserve it. People wait 16, 17, 18 years to get a senior year, which is supposed to be really special. You can have a certain opinion about the level of this pandemic, but ultimately we owe that to our kids somehow, some way to have some type of season.”

Simon, a three-sport athlete who hasn’t played an official game since the Pottsgrove girls basketball team was knocked out of the district playoffs in February hopes that she’s able to start her senior season sooner rather than later.

“You have these athletes have that play all year round and if you take it away from them until Jan. 1 that’s basically an entire year without sports,” Simon said. “Mentally, emotionally, physically and socially for all of us, that’s just not going to be good.”

They were riding a balloon of excitement and anticipation.

The players and coaches on Pottstown High’s football team were looking forward to both the 2020 season, and a return to activity and personal interaction put on hold by the COVID-19 pandemic in the spring. They had been participating in conditioning workouts since the first full week of July, in advance of the opening of practices for fall sports Monday, Aug. 10 and their first game of the season Friday, Aug. 28, at home against Kensington.

But the balloon, for football and other fall sports, got deflated over the past week. The Pottstown School Board, in a Zoom meeting Thursday evening, voted 8-0 to cancel all athletic activities this fall and through Jan. 1, 2021 amid coronavirus caution with the school reopening with an all-virtual model.

“The coaches were under the idea we were good to go,” football head coach Jeff Delaney said, referencing the Pa. Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) posting regulations for the startup of the season a week prior. “There was supposed to be a planning meeting for the start of practices as the next step.”

The board last week indicated its intent to discontinue sports. It had, however, sought a delay for the administration to put together an alternate activities plan for students.

“The kids are devastated,” football head coach Jeff Delaney said.

Pottstown joined fellow Pioneer Athletic Conference member Norristown among schools opting out of fall sports. Phoenixville also decided Thursday to not participate in a majority of its fall sports, two of them (girls tennis, golf) allowed to go on.

The decision by the school board came after the Pioneer Athletic Conference announced a postponement of the fall season Thursday. The letter, addressed to all PAC principals and signed by PAC President Dr. Bill Ziegler, changed the dates for the start of fall practices to Sept. 7 and the first day of athletic events for Sept. 25.

In conjunction with it pursuing an all-virtual return to school for the first semester, the Pottstown school board members were in agreement over the possible mixed messages over allowing sports with no in-person schooling.

“The school board decision guides the district for the next couple months, and sets parameters for the future,” board member John Armato, Pottstown’s Director of Community Relations, former athletic director and longtime wrestling assistant, said. “It gives some degree of structure.”

Pottstown had already discontinued voluntary workouts at the start of week in anticipation of the official vote Thursday.

For Brandy Scherer, the cancellation of fall sports was a second blow to her coaching career this calendar year.

Scherer lost out on working with the Pottstown girls’ lacrosse team in the spring when the pandemic resulted in the close of school in mid-March. And now she won’t be able to coach field hockey as a result of the school board decision.

“As both a spring (lacrosse) and fall coach, it has been an extremely challenging few months for our student-athletes,” Scherer said. “The spring sport season was obviously more unique since we were not prepared, didn’t really know what was happening, COVID was new, while this is all still new.

“The health and safety of our students-athletes is our highest priority, and I truly understand it is hard to defend having school 100-percent virtual and still having sports.”

Like Delaney, Scherer decried a situation described as coaches not being fully aware of actions being taken to address the issue.

“I can probably speak on behalf of many coaches when I say the lack of communication has been frustrating,” she said. “Not knowing what the plan is, hearing ‘the plan’ for the first time in a board meeting, trying to filter through what the PIAA, PAC, Governor is releasing and not knowing if that changes things for us. We can’t communicate with our athletes because we don’t know any more than they do.”

In response, Armato described the circumstances as being subject to revision along the way.

“Across the board, it’s a very fluid situation,” he said. “Decisions and actions taken one day can change the next day. As information has become available, we get it out.”

The district’s new Co-Curricular Director, Me’Lisa Morgan, is working to set up a program of virtual workout challenges. Armato noted “nothing is hard and fast” on the program, one in which the sports teams’ coaches would be able to apply for positions as “workout coaches.”

“We’re figuring it all out,” he said. “It’s not totally defined in a lot of ways.”

“I can tell you that all coaches have been trying to keep something going for our athletes,” Scherer said. “We all know the value and support sports bring to our kids. There isn’t a coach that isn’t willing to do whatever it takes for our kids, and I hope the community knows that.”     

Pottstown’s alternative activities plan outlined coaches holding in-person interactions that must be outside, adhere to six-feet social distancing requirements, be 10 or fewer people and approved by administration.

“This is all a grand experiment. We don’t know how any of this will go,” Pottstown Superintendent Stephen Rodriguez said at the board meeting. “We don’t know if we’ll have too many coaches apply, if we have too many kids want to be involved. Maybe everybody will want to be involved and that to me would be a great problem to have.”

Pottstown senior football players Jahzeel Watson and Sincere Strimpel tried to stay optimistic as they went through voluntary workouts this summer, holding out hope that a season would shortly follow.

Then the workouts were put on hold and a text from Trojans’ head coach Jeff Delaney last Thursday gave them the news they’d been dreading since returning to the field.

On Aug. 6, Pottstown cancelled athletics through Jan. 1, 2021 after the school district had already approved an all-virtual return to school for the first semester due to safety concerns around the coronavirus.

The Trojans are one of the three Pioneer Athletic Conference programs thus far to opt out of the fall season along with Norristown and Phoenixville, which is allowing singles tennis, golf and marching band.

While the decisions have been made with health and safety of student-athletes in mind, they were no less painful for the athletes who hoped to share the field with their friends and classmates one last time this fall.

“We’ve all really had the same reaction,” Watson said. “It was really heartbreaking just knowing that our senior season was gone. It was just kind of hard to take.”

“I was disappointed,” Strimpel said. “ I thought I was going to lead a team, we were going to have a good season, going to win, but I guess there are other things to worry about. I’m disappointed though. I’m mad we can’t play, but there ain’t really much we can do.”

Norristown senior golfer Josh Ryan was hoping to compete one last time with his high school teammates this season. (Pete Bannen – MediaNews Group File)

Academy Park is the only other District 1 school to cancel its fall athletics thus far, while the Philadelphia Public League announced Monday it was postponing sports until 2021 as per the recommendations of Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Department of Education.

The Pioneer Athletic Conference announced last Thursday the delay of its fall sports season, beginning fall practices and heat acclimatization will begin Monday, Sept. 7 while competitions and games are allowed to begin Friday, Sept. 25.

The move gave school districts more time to make decisions on fall athletics as they also try to determine what kind of learning environment they will have available.

“I think sports are an important part of both physical and mental health for students,” Phoenixville senior boys soccer player Brendan Flick said. “I am definitely disappointed that as a senior we may not have the opportunity to play and compete this fall. It is my hope that over the next two weeks all parties involved will explore all possible options. Whether it be in the fall or spring, I just hope we get the chance to play.”

Norristown senior golfer Josh Ryan, the PIAA bronze medalist a year ago, has played individually throughout the summer and will have to stay that course during the fall. However, he laments the fact that Norristown didn’t make a decision like Phoenixville in letting some of its lesser-risk sports play this fall.

He also mentioned how exciting it was to get encouragement from neighbors, members of his church, people at Jeffersonville Golf Club and other members of the community during his successes the past several years.

Ryan, who has won the last two PAC individual boys titles and is the reigning District 1-3A champion, said he skipped on some big tournaments in 2019 to play for the high school and was excited to do so once again this season before heading off to Liberty University.

“I loved being part of a team,” Ryan said. “In golf, you’re usually by yourself. Being with a group of guys and playing is really special. Last year, I had a pretty big opportunity to play in a big tournament down south, but I decided to play the high school season because it means a lot to me to represent the community. You don’t have a lot of opportunities to do that.”

“I know decisions about safety are hard to make, but I just wish they let us play because it’s truly safe to be out on a golf course,” he added.

Pottstown’s Jahzeel Watson, right, hopes to find alternative ways to get recruited without a fall season. (Owen McCue – MediaNews Group File)

For some fall athletes, a missed season hinders potential recruiting interest.

Pottstown’s Watson ended his junior year with an injury and has no senior season to improve his stats and add more film to his highlight reel to send to college coaches.

He is trying to figure out other ways to generate interest from colleges.

“My main focus now is to get in contact with as many schools as possible,” Watson said. “I’ve been using this website Next College Student Athlete. Hopefully they can help me to really get in contact with as many schools as possible. … I’ve been talking with my coach. We’ve been sending emails out and trying to get some talks on the phone with college coaches too.”

Strimpel, who also has intentions of playing at the next level, is still trying to play football this fall.

This was going to be his first year at Pottstown after moving to the area from Detroit, where he was a standout defensive end at Detroit Central, earning all-city honorable mention honors from the Detroit Free Press in 2019.

He said he still has family in Detroit and has gotten in contact with his old coach along with talking to the Pottstown coaches about trying to figure out a way to play this year in Michigan, where football practices started Monday.

“Football, the game itself, it just teaches you a lot and for them to close up down here, it’s bad. I don’t even know what to say,” Strimpel said. “I just know I’m not going to be the person who just sits. If there’s a season somewhere, I’m going to go wherever I can go. I love Pottstown. I love everybody in the little town, but if I got the opportunity to play my senior season, I’m going to go take that.”

Phoenixville’s suspension of sports extends through the first marking period, which ends Oct. 31. Norristown will hold virtual-only learning through Jan. 11, 2021, but the school’s release noted only that there would be no athletics for the Fall 2020 season. Pottstown cancelled all athletic activities through Jan. 1, 2021.

Watson, who is also a member of the Trojans’ boys basketball and boys track & field teams, is once again trying to remain optimistic that he’ll have the opportunity to put on a Pottstown uniform again at some point even if it won’t be on the gridiron.

“I really hope so,” Watson said. “Basketball-wise I really haven’t gotten much recognition. Hopefully we can play this year, so I can get my name out there. And also for track because I lost my season last year, so I was really hoping to get it this year.”

Phoenixville girls tennis player Kiley Mangialardi is happy to be ‘one of the lucky ones.’

When it comes to high school athletics in the Fall of 2020, that means Mangialardi is part of a small group of Phantoms athletes able to play their sport this fall.

With Phoenixville approving an all-virtual reopening plan, the school district voted to allow girls tennis, boys and girls golf and marching band (if it adheres to 20-feet social distancing) while suspending competitions for the rest of its fall athletic seasons.

“I’m very grateful that my teammates and I have been given the opportunity to play tennis this season,” Mangialardi said. “Once the news that most sports would not be played in the fall reached my classmates and I, we immediately were disappointed.

“I cannot imagine how players for other sports feel, especially the seniors in my own class this year. I was one of the lucky ones, and I definitely feel for those who do not get to participate in their sports.”

Two Pioneer Athletic Conference schools, Norristown and Pottstown, suspended all of their fall athletic competitions. Phoenixville made determinations on the safety levels of each extra-curricular activity.

Those Phantoms athletes able to participate in their sports this fall are taking extra care to limit the risks of COVID-19 exposure.

Girls tennis players have thus far been meeting for voluntary workouts once per week with upperclassmen and underclassmen practicing at different times. Players wear masks when they’re not on the court and bring their own can of marked tennis balls to avoid sharing them with others.

For golf, players will have to take caution to maintain their distance from each other at the practice range, on the tee box and near the green. Players won’t be able to exchange scorecards and will refrain from touching the flagstick and shaking hands.

“This year is unique due to the restrictions placed to prioritize our health and safety,” Phoenixville senior girls tennis player Annie Absher said. “Despite the new measures, we are making the most of the situation and are looking forward to another fun season.”

“Given the bond between team members, I am confident everyone will look out for one another and do their best to be safe,” she added.

The Phoenixville boys golf team has yet to meet up. Senior Kyle Resuta has been competing by himself this summer but is excited for the chance to rejoin his team this fall.

After bringing back Resuta, a first team All-Pioneer Athletic Conference selection, senior Bryan McGuire and sophomore Ryan Jasudowich, both district qualifiers in 2019, the Phantoms are thankful they’ll have the opportunity to try to improve on a 5-4 finish in the league last season and make a push for a Final Four spot.

They’re also thankful for the chance to reunite with each other once again this fall.

“Not seeing a lot of the younger guys throughout the summer, some of the older ones and then getting together and possibly doing something special this year, that’s probably the best thing that I look forward to,” Resuta said.

Along with the social, sentimental and health benefits of playing their sports, some Phoenixville athletes are excited about the impact it might have on their future athletic careers.

For those fall athletes who are unsure of their academic athletic futures after this season, competing this fall presents the ability to possibly expand those opportunities.

“Being that I’m a senior, and I’m sure others would agree, I was unsure of how we would be able to be recruited or apply for scholarships,” Mangialardi said. “Being able to play this season definitely eased my mind about those things. Besides that it means a lot to be able to play this year in general. I think this season will make us all appreciate the game even more.”

Resuta has several friends who typically play fall sports who are unsure of what their plans for the fall look like. He mentioned that they and others might look toward those sports that are allowed to compete in order to fill their competitive void.

“They’re pretty bummed out,” Resuta said. “It stinks for them having their senior season cut short, but a few of them I know have actually reached out to me that they want to play golf this season, which is really good getting some new guys maybe playing this sport. … I’ve heard a lot of times that this is the best thing for golf that’s happened in a while. You see everybody now going to this sport.”

For now, Phoenixville athletes are participating in voluntary workouts or staying sharp on their own. The PAC delayed the start of fall practices and heat acclimatization to Monday, Sept. 7 while competitions and games are allowed to begin Friday, Sept. 25.

A few extra weeks of waiting won’t dampen the anticipation of a fall season that some thought might not come.

“The team has a close bond, so it is always exciting to start the season and welcome in the new players,” Absher said. “Even though this season will not be like previous years, I am thankful we still have the opportunity to play. I look forward to playing tennis every year as it is so much fun. After being home for so many months, many of us are looking forward to returning to the courts.”

All fall sports except football are allowed to play at Pottsgrove High School this upcoming season based on a decision made by the district’s School Board Tuesday night

The Pottsgrove School Board voted 5-4 to approve a plan for fall sports structured around guidance from the Montgomery County Office of Public Health released Tuesday.

With Montgomery County’s current COVID-19 positivity rate currently between 1 and 5 percent (4.5 percent), Pottsgrove’s low and moderate-contact sports, which include tennis, golf, soccer, field hockey, cross country and volleyball, are allowed to compete in interscholastic competitions.

For the time being, Pottsgrove’s football team will only participate in drills and workouts that maintain social distancing.

Pottsgrove’s decision to follow Montgomery County’s guidelines does leave the status of fall sports fluid.

If Montgomery County’s COVID-19 positivity rate falls below 1 percent and weekly case incidence are less than 10 per 100,000, then higher-contact sports like football would be allowed to compete.

Inversely, if the county’s cases rise above 5 percent, only the low-contact sports, golf, tennis and cross country, would be allowed to compete with moderate-contact sports sticking to individual-level drills with distancing protocols in place.

The Pioneer Athletic Conference is set to begin official team conditioning and workouts on Sept. 7 and games on Sept. 25.

Fellow Pioneer Athletic Conference schools Pottstown, Norristown and Pope John Paul II have had their fall sports seasons cancelled/postponed. The Phoenixville School Board adopted a plan allowing golf, singles tennis and marching band to compete.

Tuesday night’s board meeting included discussion with the school’s physician, Dr. Wade Brosius, who recommended Pottsgrove opt out of sports this fall.

“Although there is less risk for non-contact sports, it’s not no risk,” Brosius said.

Pottsgrove parents and community members also made statements about their opinions on the issue — both for and against fall sports.

Among the major arguments for sports included the positive mental and physical health aspects, the voluntary status of sports and the PIAA’s decision last week to continue on with the fall sports season.

“We remain committed in the belief that the risk of participation in school sports is greatly outweighed by the essential health benefits and significant growth opportunities, and it should be left up to parents and guardians to decide whether to participate,” Pottsgrove resident and parent Jerry Thompson, whose child plays sports for the Falcons.

“Aligning with the PIAA and the fact that all these activities are voluntary, I am asking for the board to allow all fall extracurricular activities to happen as long as each individual family feels their student is safe to participate,” said Kristi Solis, whose child is a senior athlete at Pottsgrove. “Please don’t make that decision for us.”

Those opposed to playing sports this fall mentioned that the school had already decided it was unsafe for students to participate in online-learning and the Governor’s recommendation to not play sports this fall.

“I will admit that I’m not sure what magical thing might happen in the spring that will make this a better environment,” Kristin Wallace said. “But hopefully once more is learned about the virus, it will allow for a more appropriate response and a response to keep our community safe.”

Voting yes on the Pottsgrove sports vote were President Robert Lindgren, Vice President Al Leach, Tina McIntyre, Jay Strunk and Charles Nippert. Voting no were Bill Parker, Jim Lapic, Patty Grimm and Ashley Custer.

The Inter-Academic League announced Wednesday morning that it will postpone all fall sports and instead look to have three seven-week seasons after Jan. 1, 2021.

The league is comprised of nine schools: Academy of Notre Dame, Agnes Irwin, Baldwin, Episcopal Academy, Germantown Academy, Haverford School, Malvern Prep, Penn Charter, and Springside-Chestnut Hill.

“The Heads of School and Directors of Athletics have unanimously decided to suspend any inter-scholastic competition through December 2020,” the league statement said. “This decision was made given the unprecedented concerns we face in our community and in consideration with Governor Wolf’s (Tom), strong recommendation to not play sports. Should conditions permit, the league intends to hold three seven week seasons for our student-Athletes in the new year.”

Malvern Prep is one of the six Inter-Academic League football schools and the Friars were getting ready for a fall season. The league had previously set September 14 as the first date of fall practice but Wednesday morning’s news has scuttled those plans.

Friars head football coach Dave Gueriera, whose Friars were expected to compete for the league title this year, spoke about the decision.

“I am heartbroken for our players, especial the seniors,” Gueriera said. “We will stay positive and productive as we look forward to the spring season.”

In Chester County, Malvern Prep joins Unionville, Bishop Shanahan and the Westtown School in skipping fall sports.

Fall sports will be taking place for nearly all Suburban One League schools this year.

Twenty-one of the 24 SOL schools voted in favor of the league’s fall sports recommendation during an executives meeting Friday.

On Aug. 5, the SOL Executive Committee recommended that low and moderate risk sports (golf, cross country, girls tennis, water polo, soccer, field hockey and girls volleyball) have a two-week delay from the first PIAA regular season contest date for each of those sports, and football has a four-week delay from the first regular season contest date.

“That recommendation passes with regards to moving forward with fall sports,” SOL president and Central Bucks West Principal Tim Donovan said after Friday’s vote.

Plymouth Whitemarsh, one of the 21 “yes” votes, voted in favor of all sports except football. Springfield (Montco) and Harry S. Truman abstained from voting while Cheltenham opted not to play.

This decision comes a week after the PIAA voted to permit fall sports to begin based on local school decisions and a few days after the Philadelphia Catholic League and Inter-AC announced they will not be playing sports this fall. Other area schools, such as Norristown and Pope John Paul II, also will not be participating in sports this fall.

For the SOL schools, low and moderate risk sports can begin practicing Monday, Aug. 31. Golf matches can begin Thursday, Sept. 3, tennis Tuesday, Sept. 8 and the other low and moderate risk sports Monday, Sept. 21.

For football, heat acclimation begins Monday, Sept. 14. Practices begin Monday, Sept. 21 and the regular season can kick off Friday, Oct. 2.

Following the vote, the SOL executives discussed schedules going forward.

Golf coaches will make their own schedules with the understanding they can start Sept. 3. Crossover games will be removed from the field hockey, girls soccer and boys soccer schedules.

Donovan said that because of the complexity of scheduling, input is needed from the individual schools. The schedules will be developed moving forward in working sessions.

“As we know with COVID this is a very fluid process,” Donovan said, “so things could change based on where we are with COVID and the fluidity of what we’re facing as well as the individual school districts as we move forward.”

The meeting concluded talking about gameday procedures and crowning conference and division championships, which will be further discussed in working sessions.

It took until the final week of August, but the final shoe has dropped for Chester County sports in the era of coronavirus.

The Ches-Mont League will not play sports this fall due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

On Friday afternoon, the Ches-Mont released a statement stating that it would follow the guidelines issued by the Chester County Health Department. Those guidelines recommend that no sports should be played under current conditions. The league hopes to play the fall season at a later date.

The Ches-Mont joins the Del Val League, Central League, the Philadelphia Catholic League, Philadelphia Public League, Inter-Ac League and Friends School League in cancelling the fall sports season.

“Based upon the current health and safety recommendations, the Ches-Mont League has voted to postpone sports competition at this time,” the league statement said. “The Ches-Mont has requested that the PIAA District 1 committee explore and propose alternate solutions that will allow our student athletes to compete at a later time.”

Multiple coaches who were reached on Friday declined to comment.

There has been talk of the fall season being switched to spring 2021 and playing three possible 10-week seasons: winter, spring and fall starting after Jan. 1, 2021.

Ethan Kohler can’t help but think about what he and his teammates would normally be doing this time of year.

If the Perkiomen Valley junior quarterback lost track, his cell phone has reminded him with photos from a season ago.

“It’s definitely different,” Kohler said. “At this point we would have been preparing. We would have went through camp and everything. Looking back and seeing some of the memories from a year ago and it’s you at camp and you’re just not there, it’s definitely different. But I feel like with everything going on, especially with how different our lives are, you kind of just adapted and we’re adjusting. We’re doing everything we can.”

Typically in late August, athletic fields are packed as seasons are about to get or already are underway.

Before the Pioneer Athletic Conference decided to delay its season to allow school districts to make decisions on the status of fall sports, league teams were scheduled to begin games this upcoming week with the original kickoff for football season set for Friday.

For the moment, PAC teams are restricted to voluntary workouts as the league decided to wait until Sept. 7 to begin official practices and Sept. 25 for their first games.

“It’s kind of sad because it’s my senior year, so we’re obviously like, ‘Oh, this would have been my first last scrimmage,’ but we obviously don’t have that and we don’t know when we’re going to have that,” Boyertown senior girls soccer player Sam Goffice said Friday.

“It’s hard because there’s so many unknowns,” she added. “We don’t know.”

Decisions are starting to come into place for PAC schools. Norristown, Pottstown, Pope John Paul II and Phoenixville (with the exception of girls’ tennis and golf) will not participate in the fall season, while several others, most recently Upper Perkiomen and Pottsgrove this past week, have decided to continue with their fall sports seasons.

“It’s unfortunate to see teams dropping out but at the end of the day, we’ve just gotta focus and pray that we get the opportunity to have a season,” Kohler said. “I don’t know we’ll see how it goes.”

Boyertown’s Samantha Goffice (23) gathers the ball against Plymouth-Whitemarsh last season. (Owen McCue – MediaNews Group)

Though there seems to be some clarity about if and when their seasons can begin, players are still forced to deal with lots of uncertainty.

The PIAA gave schools the green light to play fall sports Aug. 21, but nearby leagues like the Philadelphia Catholic League, Central League and Ches-Mont League have suspended their fall seasons.

On Friday, Boyertown cancelled its voluntary workouts until the first day of official practice Sept. 7 because a football player tested positive for COVID-19.

“It’s disappointing,” Bears senior girls soccer player Mikayla Moyer said Friday before news broke that the Bears would be pausing workouts. “We’re trying our best to keep a positive mindset, keep pushing forward, act like we’re going to have a season, but we really don’t know. I guess we’re just trying to keep our heads up.”

Unlike Kohler, PV head coach Rob Heist said he’s kind of lost track of things that usually happen around this point of the season as there’s not a lot of time to reflect on a first scrimmage that might have occurred under normal circumstances.

Coaching amidst a pandemic brings with it challenges and concerns that have consumed Heist throughout the summer as he tries to prepare his team for a season he hopes can take shape in some way, shape or form.

“I hadn’t really thought about it like that,” PV coach Rob Heist said. “I’ve been just so kind of consumed with trying to advocate for our program so that we will have any semblance of a season this year. And worrying about abiding by all the safety protocols our district has put in place is kind of dominating a lot of my time. I haven’t really stopped to think about it. I’m just hoping that we have a few games for our 2021 seniors. That’s kind of my goal at this point.”

Upperclassmen and captains are also tasked with extra responsibilities this sports season. Moyer and Goffice said they put together workouts for the younger players on the team before voluntary workouts were allowed to begin.

Kohler mentioned along with typical leadership responsibilities that come with the quarterback position he has to help make sure his teammates are following COVID safety protocols during voluntary workouts.

“I feel like the biggest thing I can do to make sure everyone else is doing it is to just lead by example,” Kohler said. “Me taking it seriously and really just making sure we’re following all of the safety precautions, other people see that and they’ll just do the same things. I just have to be really careful about what I do and lead by example.”

“I think it definitely has made my leadership skills improve a lot,” Goffice said.

Boyertown’s Mikayla Moyer tries to cut around a Nazareth player last season. (Austin Hertzog – MNG)

Players and coaches are trying to make sure when they do begin official practices and games, they will be as ready as possible. Though they have been able to attend voluntary workouts since late July, there is still time to make up for lost spring workouts when teams could only gather virtually.

Heist mentioned he and his staff are making sure the Vikings are well-conditioned before official practice start so they can put more time in on integrating their offensive and defensive playbooks. Goffice said her team was trying to catch up on building chemistry and finding roles during voluntary workouts.

Bears’ head coach Bill Goddard noted that while his team’s preparation and philosophy won’t change this season, things are understandably going to be different.

“If we do have a season, no matter what it’s going to look like, it won’t be normal,” Boyertown girls soccer coach Bill Goddard said. “Obviously we’re not going to play the full schedule, but I know there are teams and schools trying to make this work with the best interest of everybody. Everyone’s health safety and welfare is a top priority, trying to fight this thing and navigate this minefield.”

There is still at least one week of waiting before teams can officially deem their seasons underway and more than two weeks after that before they can teake the field against an opponent.

As seen this summer, a lot of things can change by then. But for players who have had to handle a lot of uncertainty already, the outlook will stay the same.

“I guess there’s nothing we can really do within our power except stay safe and try and follow the guidelines,” Kohler said. “I guess we’ve just gotta stay focused and we when we’re out on the field we gotta take it as a blessing and every single day we get is a better opportunity.”

“I’m just looking forward to having some type of season,” Moyer said. “Even if it’s only a few games, I’m fine with that because it’s my senior year and I want to have fun.”

With many of their seasons cancelled, suspended, postponed or in doubt, Chester County student-athletes and parents and others from around the area decided to try and make sure their voices were heard Monday.

Their message? Let us play.

A group of about 70 made known their support for playing high school sports this fall with a ‘Let Us Play’ rally outside the Chester County Health Department in West Chester.

The department’s current recommendation is that high school sports not be played until 2021, prompting the postponement of the Ches-Mont League and Central League fall seasons and causing worry for other Chester County athletes like those at Pioneer Athletic Conference member Owen J. Roberts.

“We want to see if they can reverse their decisions,” said Garnet Valley senior football player Kevin McGarrey. “Only three districts in all of Pennsylvania aren’t playing and we’re one of them. The whole rest of Pennsylvania is playing and we’re trying to reverse the decision of our league officers and officials. … It’s good seeing these guys coming together. We’re all one team now and trying to play.”

Monday’s rally was organized by Owen J. Roberts senior girls soccer and football player Olivia Kqira and her mother Dana and OJR senior football player Dante DeNardo and his mother Donna DeNardo.

They reached out to other athletes from OJR and those they knew at other schools in Chester County to spread word of their intent to hold Monday’s rally. Dana Kqira and Donna DeNardo also used social media to spread awareness of the event, including a Facebook calendar event.

“Dante and I organized this to really show our dedication and support for everyone who wants a season,” Olivia Kqira said. “We just want our seasons because as much as physical, it’s very important for our mental health. Sitting in our house seven hours a day online is not very ideal. Kids need an outlet through sports and other things to occupy their minds.”

Chester County athletes hold up their signs during a rally outside the Chester County Health Department on Monday in West Chester. (Owen McCue – MediaNews Group)

Following the recommendation of Gov. Tom Wolf and the Pennsylvania Departments of Health and Education, the Chester County Health Department announced that it did not recommend competition in any sport until Jan. 1, 2021. The recommendation, found in the Chester County Health Department’s Return to School guidelines from Aug. 5, also asserted that the decision was under the discretion of a school entity’s governing body.

Made up of teams in Chester and Montgomery counties, the Ches-Mont League announced Friday that it will not play sports until January, citing the current health and safety recommendations from the state and county. The Central League, made up of teams in Chester, Montgomery and Delaware counties announced Friday that it delayed the start of its fall season until at least October .

“It’s honestly really rough, especially when you’re working for the season beginning in January. It’s all you look forward to really,” said Downingtown West junior football player Costantino Villari. “It’s a big disappointment because it helps a lot with school, it’s a good stress relief and it’s a really amazing environment coming together as a team. To have that pushed back or effectively cancelled is a huge disappointment.”

“We want to show them that it’s more than just sports and games for us,” Downingtown West senior football player Evan Wickersham said of his reason for coming to the really. “For all these people, it’s an escape from our everyday lives, especially now with the coronavirus.”

Student-athletes and parents are outside the Chester County Department of Health advocating for the removal of a recommendation to not play fall sports. pic.twitter.com/gnPap1R4lI

— Owen McCue (@Owen_McCue) August 31, 2020

Owen J. Roberts is one of two PAC schools located in Chester Country. The other, Phoenixville, cancelled fall sports with the exception of girls’ tennis and boys’ and girls’ golf on Aug. 6. OJR has not announced any cancellations to its fall sports season. The athletic department announced tryout dates Monday morning, and the PAC plans to allow practices to begin Sept. 7 with games to follow Sept. 25.

The OJR school district changed from a hybrid plan to all virtual learning on Aug. 14 due to new guidelines from the Chester County Health Department, which is why some parents and athletes were worried about the status of sports. The district calendar doesn’t have any meetings scheduled until a Committee of the Whole Meeting on Sept. 8, the first day of online classes. The next School Board meeting on the calendar is Sept. 21.

“My concern is that we’re going to get up to Sept. 8, get ready to go, all excited, and they’re going to call it then,” Dante DeNardo said. “Right now, that’s a date circled on people’s calendars for deciding whether or not we’re going to play. We’re hoping that if they’re going to cancel it, cancel it before or let us play.”

“I think basically it’s emotionally draining,” said OJR parent Kristie Smith, who mentioned watching other Chester County schools cancel their season has added onto the stress of an already stressful summer. “My daughter’s only a freshman but it’s taken a toll on her, and I think they need to play, they need to be back in school. That’s why I’m here.”

An Avon Grove athlete and parent hold up their signs during a rally outside the Chester County Health Department on Monday in West Chester. (Owen McCue – MediaNews Group)

With decisions already made on the status of their fall seasons, athletes and parents from the other Chester County school are holding out hope they can find a way to play.

“They postponed the season based on a sentence that the Chester County Health Department said,” Avon Grove parent Missy Dixon said. “At this point, my son is my last child, he’s a senior. It’s an emotional thing for him along with all the other kids. They’ve been following the rules, doing everything they were supposed to do working out all summer with keeping distanced, non-contact. Youth sports are going on all around.

“It seems like there’s gotta be something they can do for these kids, whether it’s a shortened season, a tournament, giving them the excitement of being on a team, being leaders for the younger kids.”

As they await the start of their seasons, OJR student-athletes and parents plan to use resources like social media and word of mouth to advocate for fall sports to continue as planned.

Owen J. Roberts senior cheerleader Kiersten Longworth started a petition on Change.org urging the school district and superintendent Dr. Susan T. Lloyd to allow athletes to participate in athletics this fall. The petition had 595 signatures before the rally Monday afternoon.

“I just wanted to get it out there for people that we could try to get everyone involved and tell everyone that we need to play, it’s really important to all of us and try to get as many people to sign as possible,” Longworth said. “We saw that there was going to be a meeting on our decision and we saw that the school was going all virtual, so we kind of started to worry fall sports were going to get cancelled.”

Regardless of the decisions that end up being made on sports, those who attended Monday hope that their voices will not fall on deaf ears.

“Hopefully it raises the awareness that people have the opportunity to have a voice and hopefully make a change and impact the decisions of administrators,”  West Chester Henderson parent Rich Kuegler said. “I think that’s the biggest frustration. I think voices go unheard. … Now that the facts, the data, the science is out there to prove that this can be a safe environment they need to react and make a good decision.”

The Pioneer Athletic Conference’s plan to play continues to take shape for the fall.

The league leadership met Tuesday to further establish the outlook of the fall sports season that has been delayed and affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

One takeaway can’t be overlooked though: there will be PAC athletics this fall.

“At this point we see ourselves moving forward,” PAC President and Pottsgrove High School Principal Dr. Bill Ziegler said. “As of now, we are scheduled full steam ahead.”

Not all PAC schools and teams are all systems go, a fact not lost on Ziegler and league leadership.

“We have a number of schools that are out of fall sports and we support the design of an alternate fall schedule, such as in the spring, we would support that,” Ziegler said. “I know a number of our schools in the conference would like to see that happen.”

At present, Boyertown, Methacton, Owen J. Roberts, Perkiomen Valley, Spring-Ford and Upper Perkiomen are participants in all sports. Pottsgrove (all sports except football), Upper Merion (tennis, cross country, golf) and Phoenixville (golf, singles tennis) are partial participants while Norristown, Pope John Paul II and Pottstown have opted out of all interscholastic competition in the fall.

The participation list is not necessarily final though. While most participating schools are expected to proceed as currently aligned, only Upper Perkiomen, Pottsgrove, Upper Merion and Phoenixville have had official fall sport-specific school board votes.

During this week’s league meeting, league-wide athlete screening guidelines were approved. Additionally, the league will allow schools to seek out non-league competition after the completion of league play.

Non-league opportunities will be available, but not as abundant as a normal season: the Central League and Ches-Mont League have indefinitely postponed fall sports, as has the majority of the Philadelphia Catholic League. Twenty-one of 24 schools in the Suburban One League are competing in fall sports.

For league scheduling, the PAC is exploring ‘pods’ where teams in field hockey or soccer would play twice — home and away — in a given week.

“We’re looking at scheduling in ‘pods’ in field hockey and boys and girls soccer to help with contact tracing,” Ziegler said. “That way we keep within the same grouping of kids the whole week.”

The league is on course for Sept. 7 as the start of preseason, with interscholastic competitions allowed to begin Sept. 25. Golf matches will be afforded an earlier start, on Sept. 14.

Scheduling is taking shape at present with the goal of them being set in the near future.

“We don’t have an actual deadline, but we’re working on it right now and with competition starting Sept. 25 we understand the importance of getting that out pretty quickly so our goal is to have that out sooner than later,” Ziegler said.

The state of Pennsylvania relaxed its spectator guidelines on Wednesday. Spectators may now attend sporting events but will count toward state limits (25 indoor, 250 outdoor) and must adhere to social distancing and facial covering guidelines

The Pioneer Athletic Conference playoffs and championships have traditionally been a fixture of the mid-October calendar. But in a year that has featured constant questions over any games happening, league playoffs have not been discussed for now.

“Right now we’re just trying to get one game in,” Ziegler said, keenly aware of the unpredictable current climate.

The league’s uniform screening guidelines include a screening questionnaire and temperature check from a member of the student-athlete’s home district. A temperature more than 100.3 (NFHS guideline) will disqualify a participant. The screening information will be recorded and signed off on by the athletic director, trainer or principal.

Boyertown is currently in the midst of a COVID-19 related shutdown after a football player tested positive last Friday. Ziegler expressed that the league intends to stay flexible with anything that comes its way in the most unusual of seasons.

“We understand that at any time a school could be shut down due to a COVID related case, but we talked internally about still moving forward and making the best of it as a league. If a school can’t participate, we’ll look at rescheduling,” Ziegler said.

“We know how important athletics are to kids so we want to do everything we can to support them and get them playing safely.”

FRANCONIA >> The Souderton Area High School girls tennis team faces the tough task of replacing 2019 graduate Caitlin Le as its first singles player this season.

If the season opener is any indication, Amanda Yang is up for the challenge.

The freshman won her first match, 6-2, 6-3, against Central Bucks West senior Cynthia Hu, who was a second team All-Suburban One League Continental Conference selection last year, Tuesday afternoon at Souderton Area High School.

“(Yang’s) IQ as a freshman,” Indians coach Jeff Bishop pointed to as a strength. “When she didn’t have a good shot, she would return something high or deep where she could still recover and take advantage the next play. (Hu) had a really tough serve and Amanda did a good job getting it back in play and then moving forward from there rather than getting rattled and doing too much with it.”

Souderton’s Hayley Frenchel watches her return shot clear the net in her doubles match against Central Bucks West on Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2020. (James Beaver/For MediaNews Group)

Bishop compared her footwork and ability to keep points alive to what he saw coaching Le.

“(Yang’s) IQ level right from the start is something that stood out,” he said. “She wasn’t trying to force too much. When her shot was there, she was capable and skilled enough to take advantage and put it in corners – that made it really tough. She also knew not to do too much when it wasn’t there. That’s what Caitlin did well. It was really cool to see because I know how far she can grow from that solid foundation.”

Yang and Hu traded a number of long volleys with each winning some impressive points.

Despite Yang’s victory in the first singles match, it was CB West who came away with the hard-fought win, 4-3.

Central Bucks West’s Cynthia Hu returns a serve from Souderton’s Amanda Yang on Tuesday, Sept, 8, 2020 at Souderton High School. (James Beaver/For MediaNews Group)

West won the second and third singles and third and fourth doubles while Souderton came away with the first singles and first and second doubles.

The biggest match of the night was the fourth doubles. With the SOL Colonial Division rivals locked in a 3-3 tie, all eyes were on the decisive matchup. West seniors Sara Kadan and Julia Zeiser rallied to a 5-7, 6-2, 7-5 win over Souderton seniors Medha Kurukunda and Olivia Steidle.

West senior Dana Zhang won the second singles, 6-3, 6-2, while junior Jill Hohmann won the third singles, 6-2, 8-6. Trisha George and Mansi Patel gave the Bucks a 6-3, 6-4 win in third doubles.

After Yang’s first singles win, Souderton seniors Hayley Fenchel and Jordan Zimmerman won first doubles, 2-6, 6-2, 6-4, and juniors Bridget Magee and Allison Magee won second doubles, 6-1, 6-3.

With the Athletic Association of Catholic Academies (AACA) going ahead with a league-only sports schedule this fall (as of Sept. 14) and tryouts to begin Sept. 21, the Merion Mercy Academy fall sports coaches interviewed spoke of the need for flexibility and adaptability.

“Our golf team will try to play as many matches as we can fit in,” said Merion Mercy golf coach Bill Wechsler. “The unavailability of golf courses this year due to assigned start times at most courses is a restriction we have to work around, but we will adapt and provide the best experience we can for our golfers.”

Merion Mercy cross country coach Matt DiPretore said, “The new AACA schedule is a bit difficult for our runners, as it is not a contact sport.  They are used to running every day as a team and running two meets a week.  However, as a coaching staff, we will adapt and adjust and model the same for our girls.”

The AACA deemed that the first fall sports to begin league contests would be the relatively social-distanced sports of golf (Sept. 24) and tennis (Sept. 28).

“Our tennis team is in a unique position this fall without a dedicated practice and game facility,” said Merion Mercy athletic director Shannon Fisher. “We are pleased to have brought the team together several times to practice as we seek a long-term solution.  The team has shown incredible flexibility and resiliency, and we hope to provide more opportunities to practice and compete this season.”

Contests in cross country, field hockey, soccer and volleyball for Merion Mercy (and the AACA) are slated to begin the week of Oct. 12.

Merion Mercy field hockey head coach Gretta Ehret said, “While we are looking forward to playing as many games as we can – our girls love field hockey and want to play and compete – we also understand that this virus is serious and just want to make sure everyone stays safe and healthy.  We will continue to take it one day at a time and be flexible.  We just feel lucky to even be playing and having a season.

“I understand the AACA needs to do what is right and safe by all participants and fans, and I appreciate their thoughtfulness in making this decision and thinking through all possibilities and perspectives. I hope that we will continue to move forward with the plans.”

In general, the Golden Bear coaches mentioned that they were happy their players were getting a chance – limited as though it is – to train, compete and interact with other athletes.

“Our girls are very happy to be there with their teammates and friends on the days we can meet together,” said DePretore. “All the AACA coaches were in agreement with max participation because it is about getting the girls out there to compete, and we will look for as many opportunities we can.” 

“I’m pleased that we are being afforded the opportunity to participate in league play,” said Merion Mercy girls’ soccer head coach Brett McGovern. “Given the unique circumstances we are in, I understand the rationale behind AACA’s decision to delay and condense the season, as it is in the best interests of our student-athletes. 

“We will try to maintain as much normalcy as possible in our program, all the while being safe.  A key for us will be to balance adaptation with a readiness to compete.”

For the one fall sport that is indoors – girls’ volleyball – Merion Mercy head coach Jolen Aldaya reiterated the need to observe safety regulations in light of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I have been in contact with all of the AACA volleyball coaches, and we all agree that we want this season to be the best it can be for our student-athletes while maintaining the strict safe guidelines set forth by our schools and league,” said Aldaya.

“I am grateful for the AACA for deciding to continue fall sports [this fall]. Being that volleyball is the indoor fall sport and that the PIAA guidelines are set, I plan to get as many athletes on the court as possible home and away. I want this season to be successful for each and every one of our players.”

A senior, Cecilia Denis has been a first team All-Central League tennis selection at first singles for the past three years. Last fall, she was a first team All-Main Line girls’ tennis selection, posted a 12-2 record, was the Lower Merion team captain and was the Aces’ Most Valuable Player.

Q: What do you think was your best match last fall, and what was working particularly well for you that day?

A: My best match last year was against Pennsbury – this match took two days because of rain delays. The first day I was not playing very well – it was one of those days where it seems like nothing is working out like it should. I had lost the first set and I was down 4-2 in the second when it started to rain. The match was postponed and when we played again, I came back and won. My favorite matches are the ones where I fight back to win.

Q: What do you think is the strongest part of your game? What part of your game have you worked on the most in the off-season?

A: The strongest part of my game is probably my ground strokes and baseline game. I also bring a lot of energy and positivity to the court. In the off-season I worked on a grip change on my forehand and changed my serve from a step in to a platform.

Q: Tell us a little about the biggest challenge you faced during the past 6 months of the COVID-19 pandemic regarding keeping your game in shape, and how you dealt with that challenge.

A: The biggest challenge I faced during the past six months was probably staying in tennis shape. Tennis shape is a little bit different than physical shape. Physical shape can be maintained by working out and running, but tennis shape is very hard to maintain without being able to hit balls on a court. I was very fortunate that tennis was allowed before most other sports, because of how easily social distancing can be maintained while playing. I was able to get out there and hit safely with my hitting partner using different balls and maintaining 10-plus feet social distancing.

Q: Who are your favorite tennis players? Do you try to pattern your game after any of them?

A: My three favorite tennis players are Naomi Osaka, Ashleigh Barty, and Venus Williams. I like them because of their attitude on the court. They are very positive players who almost never lose their temper on the court. I try to bring this attitude to the court every time I play, whether it be a match or a practice.

Q: Tell us a little about your start in tennis. Who have been your top tennis mentors, and what was the most important thing you learned from each of them?

A: I started playing in clinics when I was four. My grandmother signed me up for clinics in a tiny tennis club in Rhode Island. My top tennis mentors have been Kellen Thomas and Dylan Comerford, my coaches for the past 10 years. I have learned so much from them, probably more than can ever be said – the thing that sticks out the most to me is the importance of hard work. This skill can be used on and off the tennis court and will be something I will be able to use for the rest of my life.

Q: Tell us a little about your pre-match preparation the day of a match.

A: My pre-match preparation usually consists of eating, listening to music and warming up. I have had the same warm up for five years – at this point it’s just routine.  What I eat before a match depends on the time of day that the match takes place but it is always between 1-2 hours before the match.

Q: What is your favorite tennis venue, and why?

A: My favorite tennis venue would be almost any place with hard indoor courts. It is the surface that I play on most often. My favorite place to play is HPTA (High Performance Tennis Academy) which is where I have trained year-round for the past 10 years.

Q: What is your favorite academic subject at Lower Merion? What do you think you might like to major in at college? Is there a career path that particularly appeals to you at the present time?

A: My favorite academic subject at Lower Merion is Science, in particular Biology, Genetics and Anatomy. I think I would like to major in Biology, Marine Biology or pre-med. At the moment I think I want to be a doctor, possibly a pediatrician or a pediatric surgeon.

Q: Do you participate in another other extracurricular activities at Lower Merion other than tennis?

A: I am on the Ultimate Frisbee team for a nice change of pace and some fun.

Fun facts – Cecilia Denis

Favorite book: The Miseducation of Cameron Post.

Favorite author: JK Rowling.

Favorite TV show: Greys Anatomy.

Favorite movie: Spy.

Favorite athlete: Ashleigh Barty.

Favorite pre-match pump-up song: Tik Tok, by Kesha.

Favorite team: Philadelphia Eagles.

Favorite place to visit: Vermont.

Favorite pre-match meal: Ham and cheese sandwich.

(To be selected as Main Line Girls Athlete of the Week, a student-athlete must first be nominated by her coach.)

Alie Adams had the match’s low score Tuesday, keying the Spring-Ford girls golf team’s 181-216 victory over Boyertown in their Pioneer Athletic Conference pairing at Twin Ponds Golf Club.

Adams carded a 43 to lead the Rams, topping teammates Morgan Kunze (45) and Katherine Bates (46). Alexa McPike and Aleena Ghanta had identical 47s to complete the Spring-Ford scoring.

Emily Burger was the Boyertown leader with a 48.

Boys golf

Phoenixville 211, Upper Perkiomen 220 >> Bryan Maguire’s three-over 39 helped guide the Phantoms to a Pioneer Athletic Conference victory Tuesday at Mcoby Run Golf Course.

Kyle Resuta followed with a 42, while Justin Geiger and Ryan Jasdowich finished with 43s and Dave Clipper rounded out the Phantoms’ scorers with a 44.

Donovan Hanney had the low round for UP with a 41. Jacob Ankele (43), Nate Rinehart (45), Zack Silver (45) and Soren Svanson (46) also scored

Perkiomen Valley 202, Upper Merion 229 >> While Upper Merion’s Audrey Schuelbel shot a low round of 38 Tuesday, the Vikings came away with the PAC victory at Raven’s Claw Golf Course.

Ryan Horenci and Chris Cowgill both shot 39s and Andrew Cowgill shot a 40 to lead PV. Jack Colyer (41) and Nick Torrillo (43) also scored for PV.

Jack Rodgers (44), Amanda Schuelbel (46), Justin Kravitz (50) and Anika Vilivalam (51) finished off the scoring for Upper Merion.

Spring-Ford 188, Pottsgrove 232 >> Three Rams shot rounds in the 30s to lead Spring-Ford to a PAC win over over Pottsgrove on Tuesday at Turtle Creek Golf Course.

Luke Watson had a low round of 33, followed by Luke Fazio (36) and Garrett Wible (39). Noah Kim and Joe Niblick both finished at 40.

Steven Rinda (40)had the low score for Pottsgrove followed by JR McMenamin (45), Mike Krueger (45), Cole Steltz (49) and Jacob Slanker (50).

Daniel Boone 212, Brandywine Heights 274 >> Colton Yenser was a solid low-man for the Blazers as they outshot the Bullets in Monday’s inter-division pairing of Berks League member schools.

Yenser carded a 46 in the match, three strokes beneath the par-49 score for 12 holds. Kole Washleski followed with a 50 for Boone (9-1) while Davis Myer and Braylon Kuhn went a respective 57 and 59, Boone’s streak punctuated only by the 51 BH’s Elijah Ruppert shot.

Girls tennis

Twin Valley 3, Daniel Boone 2 >> Winning two singles matches Monday helped lift the Raiders over the Blazers in Berks Conference play.

Boone (1-1, 4-2) got its points from Jordyn Houck at second singles (7-6 (2), 4-6, 10-5 over Julia Givens) and the second-doubles team of Sarah Young and Kate Tokach (7-5, 6-1 over Kayla Gardner and Lauren Rock).

Boys golf

Owen J. Roberts 194, Upper Perkiomen 213 >> Stefania Fedun emerged from a tight lead pack with low-score honors Wednesday, keying the Wildcats’ Pioneer Athletic Conference victory over the Indians.

Fedun shot a three-over-par 37 at Kimberton G.C. to finish ahead of teammate Victor Mominey and UP’s James Weller, both of whom carded 38s. Nick Parr and Will Jaeger followed with 39s, and Jared Berish completed Roberts’ top five with a 41.

Pottsgrove 219, Upper Merion 233 >> Steven Rinda was the runaway low-man Wednesday, turning in the lone sub-40 score as the Falcons handled the Vikings in their PAC match at Westover Golf Course.

Rinda’s nine-hole score of 37 put him well in front of teammate J.R. McMenamin and UM’s Amanda Schuebel, both of whom carded 43s. Wyatt Lear (44), Michael Krueger (46) and Avery Spencer (49) completed a Pottsgrove top-five that shot below 50.

Daniel Boone 196, Tulpehocken 261 >> Colton Yenser headed a strong run by the Blazers in Wednesday’s Berks League match with Tulpehocken.

Yenser shot one-over-par with a 46 for 12 holes. Kole Washleski carded a 49, Davis Myer a 50 and Braylon Kuhn a 51 for a winning (10-1) Boone lineup.

Girls golf

Spring-Ford 169, Hatboro-Horsham 210 >> Morgan Kunze, the lone golfer in the field to break 40, led the Rams in their PAC victory over the Hatters Wednesday at Linfield G.C.

Kunze carded a 39 for a Spring-Ford unit that turned in the day’s four lowest scores. Aleena Ghanta followed with a 42 while Cierra Griffith and Alexa McPike notched matching 44s.

Girls tennis

Conrad Weiser 5, Daniel Boone 0 >> The Scouts dropped just two games in singles play on the way to Wednesday’s Berks League sweep of the Blazers.

Boone’s best individual showing came at second doubles, where the tandem of Sarah Young and Kate Tokach won eight games against CW’s Isabel Wiggins/Lydia Bashore team.

Boys cross country

Boone sweeps >> Placing five runners in the Top 10 was key to the Blazers taking both ends of a Berks League tri-meet Tuesday. Boone (2-0) outran Muhlenberg 19-40 and host Schuylkill Valley 23-38.

Luke Gehringer (18:08.70) and Cory Miller (18:14.80) went 2-3 to lead the Blazers, who also got a fifth place from Harrison Leister. Matthew Ferenz added a seventh, and Stephen McDevitt a 10th.

Girls cross country

Blazers sweep >> Daniel Boone dominated Tuesday’s Berks League tri-meet with Muhlenberg and host Schuylkill Valley. The Blazers (2-0) outran the Muhls 15-50 and the Panthers 18-41.

Ashley Benoit claimed top race honors for Boone, covering the SV course in 21:25.7. Natalee Kryman (21:34.00) and Renee Camburn (21:42.9) went 2-3 for the locals, with Olivia Poore adding a fifth and Grace Habecker a seventh.

Girls tennis

Hamburg 5, Daniel Boone 0 >> A sweep of the singles bracket helped the Hawks blank the Blazers in Thursday’s Berks League match.

The best individual showing for Boone (4-4) came at second doubles, where Sarah Young and Kate Tokach extended Hamburg’s Avire Shiffert/Emily Schappel to three sets.

Conrad Weiser 5, Daniel Boone 0 >> The Scouts dropped just two games in singles play on the way to Wednesday’s Berks League sweep of the Blazers.

Boone’s best individual showing came at second doubles, where the tandem of Sarah Young and Kate Tokach won eight games against CW’s Isabel Wiggins/Lydia Bashore team.