There may be some uncertainty about the ability of Pennsylvania high schools to resume sports on time for the 2020-21 school year, but the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association is prepared.
The LIAA has finalized as fall sports schedules, which are now posted on the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association District 2 website.
The LIAA oversees all Lackawanna League high school sports. It has set fall schedules, based on the dates that will be used if each is able to start on time.
Sports on many levels have been interrupted by the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. As part of that, all high school sports competition has been on hold in Pennsylvania since mid-March.
The PIAA decided in June to allow voluntary offseason workouts to resume as long as many restrictions, including mandatory posting of individual rules for each school, were followed. The Scranton and Old Forge School Districts put a stop to those workouts in the past week because of growing concerns about the coronavirus.
Around the country, some college and high school governing bodies have begun canceling, postponing or otherwise adjusting fall sports. PIAA executive director Robert Lombardi responded to rumors and speculation about Pennsylvania fall sports last week by saying, according to other media reports, that no final decisions have been made and none are likely to be made in Wednesday’s scheduled Board of Directors media via videoconference.
Golf, as usual, is the sport scheduled to start first. Abington Heights is at Wallenpaupack and Lackawanna Trail is home with Old Forge in the Aug. 24 openers.
Girls’ tennis is set to begin Aug. 27, including Abington Heights at Delaware Valley.
Football is scheduled to begin with non-league play that weekend. Abington Heights is at Tunkhannock and Lackawanna Trail hosts Carbondale Aug. 28.
Abington Heights is at Lackawanna Trail Sept. 4 when girls’ volleyball opens.
Cross country begins Sept. 9.
Abington Heights will be at Valley View, running with the Cougars and North Pocono against Montrose, Blue Ridge and Elk Lake.
Lackawanna Trail will be at Western Wayne, running along with Lakeland and the host Wildcats against Scranton Prep, Carbondale and Holy Cross.
Boys’ soccer also opens Sept. 9. Abington Heights is at Honesdale that day.
Girls’ soccer opens Sept. 8, but Abington Heights is not scheduled for its first league game until Sept. 10 when it hosts Honesdale.
Both local schools compete in the Wyoming Valley Conference in field hockey.
Abington Heights hosts Berwick Sept. 9 when the conference opens.
Lackawanna Trail’s opener is Sept. 14 at Lake-Lehman.
