Delay of game: COVID-19 holds up high school sports schedules

The tipoff to the La Conner High basketball season has been delayed once again.

The reason is the COVID-19 pandemic, which has rebounded this fall: a tenacious, relentless full-court press.

Because of statewide spikes in coronavirus cases, the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) executive board has delayed the start of Season 2, including boys’ and girls’ basketball and wrestling, from Dec. 28 to Feb. 1.

The delay is the latest in a series of high school sports’ schedule changes prompted by the pandemic.

In response to the COVID-19 emergency, the WIAA had realigned its traditional three-season sports schedule (fall, winter and spring) into four shorter seasons. The WIAA, which governs high school sports in Washington state, pushed activities considered at higher risk for COVID-19 exposure later in the school year in hopes the virus would be controlled by then.

The newest adjustment further shortens sports seasons across Washington. State championship tournaments have also been nixed to avoid long distance travel and overnight stays.

“All I know,” La Conner High head girls’ basketball coach Scott Novak told the Weekly News, “is that we are (now) scheduled to begin on Feb. 1 with a seven-week season but I’m sure that can change depending on COVID. That’s all I know at this point.”

The girls placed a program-best second at the 2B Hardwood Classic in Spokane last March, a last major high school sports event held prior to campuses in Washington state being shut down later that month.

Under the new plan, basketball season would conclude March 20 with regional tourney play.

Most traditional fall sports, including volleyball and soccer, are tentatively set to launch their seasons on March 15.

The La Conner High volleyball team is the two-time defending state 2B title winner. The Lady Braves would have been odds-on favorites this year to complete a state three-peat and capture the La Conner net program’s sixth crown under head coach Suzanne Marble.

Marble, assistant coach Pam Keller and the team are now hoping to salvage a seven-week campaign culminating with regional action May 1.

“At this point,” Marble said, “it’s all so crazy and up in the air.”

The new schedule allows football practices to begin March 8 and extends until Jan. 23 the off-season coaching and workout window that had been in place since late September.

“The window allows for coaches in all sports to work with student-athletes in the same fashion as the summer coaching window,” according to a WIAA spokesperson.

Season 3, composed of track and field, baseball, softball, golf and tennis, now runs April 26-June 12.

While the executive board approved the framework for each WIAA season, flexibility remains at the local level due to public health protocols in effect during the pandemic.

“If less than 50 per cent of schools in a classification are able to compete in a sport, in accordance with Department of Health guidelines, the executive board will make an adjustment to the scheduled season in order to allow the chance for greater participation,” a WIAA rep said.