Another neighboring state decides to delay high school football season

By: Chris Harlan
Saturday, July 11, 2020 | 2:04 AM

Another of Pennsylvania’s neighbors is delaying the start of high school football season.

The director of the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission — that state’s version of the PIAA — announced Friday that the first day of football practice there is postponed from Aug. 3 to Aug. 17. As a result, opening week of the regular season is delayed until Sept. 3, WVSSAC executive director Bernie Dolan said in a press conference with West Virginia Gov. Jim Justice.

“Bernie and I surely recognize the importance of sports,” Justice said. “They give us so much. They teach us so many life lessons. They’re important to our communities, they bring us together. But, at the same time, we need to be safe.”

New Jersey earlier announced that its football season also was delayed.

However, PIAA executive director Bob Lombardi said in recent weeks that Pennsylvania’s high school football season could still start as scheduled.

“We’re not discussing pushing it back,” Lombardi said July 1. “We’re still cautiously optimistic about starting practice on time. We’re just going to take it day by day. If things change, we’ll adjust. I think it’s too early to make that call.”

The PIAA board meets Wednesday.

PIAA football teams are scheduled to start heat acclimatization Aug. 10, which is only a month away. Fall practices for all sports start Aug. 17.

Week Zero games are Aug. 28.

Chris Harlan is a TribLive reporter covering sports. He joined the Trib in 2009 after seven years as a reporter at the Beaver County Times. He can be reached at charlan@triblive.com.