Fall practices got underway in Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association sports Aug. 4 when golf and football teams began legal practices.
For football teams, the first week is used for heat acclimatization workouts before switching over to full-contact practices Aug. 11 when the other sports start practicing.
A sport-by-sport look at the start up of the high school season:
Football
Teams put on the equipment for practice beginning Aug. 11 in preparation for a single scrimmage Aug. 16.
Opening night is scheduled for Aug. 22.
Boys golf
Golfers have a shorter mandated preseason in terms of practicing and conditioning before moving into competition.
They are allowed to begin having matches after just three days of practice.
The Lackawanna League will wait one extra day with its openers set for Aug. 8. Honesdale is at Abington Heights, Scranton is at Lackawanna Trail and Delaware Valley is at Scranton Prep that day.
Girls golf
Unlike the boys, girls golf does not yet have Lackawanna League competition.
Abington Heights will also host Honesdale in a girls golf opener Aug. 8 at 3:40 p.m. at Glen Oak Country Club after the boys teams tee off with a 3 p.m. start.
Scranton Prep’s first match will be at home, at Glenmaura National, Aug. 14 in the morning against Abington Heights.
Girls tennis
Girls tennis is the next sport that is allowed to start competition.
Teams can scrimmage Aug. 16 and begin matches two days later.
On Aug. 18, Abington Heights is at Honesdale and Scranton Prep is at Dunmore when Lackawanna League play begins.
Girls volleyball
Girls volleyball is among the group that includes boys and girls cross country, boys and girls soccer and field hockey that share three dates – first practice, Aug. 11; first inter-school scrimmages Aug. 16 and first regular-season competitions Aug. 22.
Abington Heights opens with a non-league trip to Nanticoke Aug. 25.
Lackawanna Trail has a non-league match at Tunkhannock Aug. 26 to begin its non-league schedule.
Abington Heights is home with Valley View and Lackawanna Trail is home with Lakeland Aug. 28 in Lackawanna League openers.
Cross country
Lackawanna League action will begin in cross country with Sept. 3, continuing the league’s cluster meet format.
Abington Heights runs each week with North Pocono and Valley View. That trio will head to McDade Park to face Scranton, West Scranton and Mid Valley in the opener.
Lackawanna Trail travels with Lakeland and Western Wayne. That group heads to Delaware Valley where it will also face Wallenpaupack and Honesdale Sept. 3.
Scranton Prep, which is in a cluster with Holy Cross and Carbondale, will host Susquehanna, Mountain View and Forest City in its opener.
Boys soccer
Abington Heights hosts Crestwood Aug. 25 in its non-league opener.
Scranton Prep opens at home against Holy Cross Aug. 23.
Abington Heights is at Wallenpaupack and Scranton Prep hosts Delaware Valley in Sept. 2 Lackawanna League Division 1 openers.
Girls soccer
Scranton Prep hosts Hazleton Area in a non-league opener Aug. 23.
Abington Heights hosts Valley View and Scranton Prep travels to Delaware Valley in Division 1 games when the Lackawanna League opens Sept. 3.
Field hockey
Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail both compete in the Wyoming Valley Conference in field hockey only because the Lackawanna League does not conduct the sport.
Abington Heights opens with a non-league game at Dallas Aug. 25.
Lackawanna Trail travels to Southern Columbia for a non-league opener Sept. 4.
WVC Division 2 opens Aug. 28.
The Lady Comets and Lady Lions are both in Division 1, which opens Sept. 8. Abington Heights goes to Hazleton Area and Lackawanna Trail hosts Wyoming Seminary that day.
