Prep football season hits some early speed bumps
COVID-19 testing issues force game cancellations, schedule changes
Multiple high school football teams in Santa Cruz County failed to complete COVID-19 testing in time to participate their season openers this week, the Sentinel learned.
The cancellations have thrown an early-season wrench into the Santa Cruz Coast Athletic League schedule.
“Some schools couldn’t get testing going quickly enough,” Bob Kittle, the SCCAL commissioner, said Wednesday night. “We should be fine next week.”
Kittle said most SCCAL teams tested Wednesday but some will test Thursday. He didn’t mention which teams hadn’t yet tested.
In its latest release, the California Department of Public Health states that competition between teams listed as high-risk contact sports, like football, will be permitted “only if the team can provide COVID-19 testing and results of all athletes and support staff within 48 hours of each competition.”
St. Francis and Scotts Valley were still scheduled to play at Santa Cruz High on Thursday night, but every other previously scheduled contest has been changed to either a Saturday scrimmage or canceled. That said, Harbor and Pajaro Valley will not participate in scrimmages this weekend.
Saturday scrimmages include Aptos at Santa Cruz, Watsonville at San Lorenzo Valley, and Monte Vista Christian at Soquel.
Initially, Harbor was slated to open its season at SLV on Saturday, with Watsonville at crosstown rival Pajaro Valley.
COVID-19 testing organizations employed were chosen independently by the superintendent of each school district in the county. Santa Cruz City Schools, Pajaro Valley Unified, San Lorenzo Valley Unified and Scotts Valley Unified govern the schools participating in the 2021 SCCAL season.
Testing would no longer be mandatory if the county drops down to the orange tier of the state’s reopening plan. Santa Cruz County dropped from the most restrictive purple tier (widespread) to red (substantial) on Wednesday.
The initial SCCAL schedule features 10 county teams separated into A and B divisions. Each team was slated to play four division games, one cross-division contest, and a bowl game at season’s end.
“We’ll figure out what to do with this week’s games and the bowl games,” Kittle said. “They’re all TBA at this point. The standings is secondary to getting kids out there playing and I’m excited to see that.”
Fans won’t be allowed to attend the football games, nor scrimmages. They’re encouraged to check their high school’s website to see if games will be streamed online. Aptos, Scotts Valley and MVC are currently among the schools that will stream their games.
The decision to allow bands and cheerleaders at games will be made site administrators, Kittle said.