Catholic League opts out of fall sports
PJP II joins Norristown and Pottstown on fall sidelines, SOL vote coming up Friday
The PIAA gave high schools the green light Friday to go ahead with fall sports in 2020. Three days later, different leagues are taking different approaches.
The Philadelphia Catholic League announced Monday that it will be opting out of the fall season.
“After much careful thought, consultation, and prayer a decision has been reached that all of our high schools will opt out of participation in interscholastic competition for the fall 2020 season,” a letter from Sister Maureen Lawrence McDermott, I.H.M. Ph.D., Superintendent for Secondary
Schools for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, and Irene Horstmann Hannan, Chief Executive Officer of Faith in the Future sent to all PCL schools Monday read. “We recognize that this news is disappointing to many of our students, families and coaches, particularly our seniors. It saddens us greatly as well. We recognize the value of athletics as part of our educational philosophy that seeks to provide for the holistic formation of young men and women of character. This is not the scenario any of us desired.”
“Please know that we share your disappointment regarding the current status of fall sports programs. It is our hope that your
your disappointment will be tempered by an understanding that we have an obligation to protect all those entrusted to our care. Athletics could not be treated separately and it fell to us to make this decision in a manner consistent with everything else done to this time. Given the nature of athletic competition and the manner in which COVID-19 is transmitted, there is currently no way for us to reasonably provide for the health and safety of student-athletes as well as those with whom they come into contact.”
The Suburban One League will have an executive meeting Friday Aug. 28 before moving forward with the fall season. Schools have until Friday to have school board meetings to approve their health and safety plans and decide whether or not they will be participating in sports this fall.
Wissahickon Athletic
Director James Cairnes said the Trojans are in after approving the health and safety plan — phase two, which would allow for fall competitions, on Aug. 6. Souderton football coach Ed Gallagher said that his school will be participating this fall.
Once it’s known which schools are in and which schools are out, teams will put together their SOL-only schedules. As of Monday afternoon, Cheltenham was the only SOL school to opt out of fall
sports.
“If there are teams who opt,” Gallagher said, “let’s say two or three teams from our league decide not to play, then we’re just going to have to scramble and find some other teams to fill those slots. I still like the seven games that we’re supposed to have now on paper.
“I don’t care if it’s just us, North Penn, Pennridge, Quakertown — we’ll keep playing them. They’re the closest teams … It makes sense to me to just play those teams even though they’re not all in our league anymore just to make the most of this season, get some semblance of a season for these kids.”
Most SOL fall sports are scheduled to begin September 21 with football opening up October 2.
In the Pioneer Athletic Conference, Pope John Paul II announced Monday that it will not be participating in fall sports. PJP joins Norristown and Pottstown as PAC schools to opt out of the fall season. Phoenixville is only allowing singles tennis, golf and marching band.