MAPL, Inter-Ac cancel seasons

The entire Mid-Atlantic Prep League followed the lead The Hill School established last Friday by announcing the league will suspend all fall sports on Wednesday.

The Inter-Ac League also suspended fall sports on Wednesday as schools and leagues around the state continued to make final determinations on competing amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Both leagues left open the possibility of holding fall sports at a later date, the Inter-Ac specifically targeting spring.

“Each member school may consider independent or selective competition later this fall if local conditions allow, and the MAPL collectively will explore opportunities for fall teams to compete later in the 2020-21 school year, if it is deemed safe to do so,” the MAPL stated in its release.

The Inter-Ac is eyeing three seven-week seasons beginning Jan. 2021 if conditions allow.

Hill School is joined by Blair Academy, Hun

School, Mercersburg Academy, Peddie School and Lawrenceville in the MAPL. 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.

Other schools around southeast Pa. made final determinations Tuesday night. Abington, Central Bucks East and West and Pennridge voted to move forward with fall sports while fellow Suburban One League outfit Harry S. Truman opted out.

Pottsgrove voted to proceed as well, with the caveat of following new Montgomery County public health guidelines. Based on current Montco case rates, low and moderate-contact sports are allowed to compete, but high-contact football is only allowed to practice.

Pottsgrove’s absence from football puts the Pioneer Athletic Conference with seven competing schools after Norristown, Phoenixville, Pope John Paul II, Pottstown already suspended their seasons.