Key Tri-County South Conference game postponed because of coronavirus
For the second time in as many weeks the local high school football schedule will be one game short of full.
The West Greene at California game, a key contest between 1-0 teams that could go a long way in deciding the Class A Tri-County South Conference championship, was scheduled to be played Friday night but has been postponed because of a COVID-19 situation at West Greene.
The game has not yet been rescheduled and it’s unclear whether it will be played.
“It is postponed because of a COVID-19-related situation at the West Greene end,” Pioneers athletic director Bill Simms confirmed. “All of this is precautionary and has nothing to do with the athletic teams. There has been a confirmed case in the school and we are taking precautionary measures. There is no exposure to our teams that we know of, but if we are going to go with virtual instruction, which we are, then there will be no athletic competitions.”
The football season began last Friday for WPIAL teams but one local game, the Class 5A Allegheny Six Conference contest between South Fayette and Peters Township, was postponed because of COVID-19 situations at PT. South Fayette was able to make a late addition to its schedule, finding a game last Friday at Dover (Ohio).
South Fayette and Peters Township were able to reschedule their conference game for Sept. 25 because each school had a nonconference opponent scheduled on that date. California and West Greene are finding it much more difficult to reschedule because Tri-County South Conference teams have conference games scheduled each week of the season.
Adding to the difficulty for California athletic director Ray Huffman is the PIAA rule that requires football teams to have a minimum of five days between games.
“With five days, how are you supposed to make it work?” Huffman asked. “It’s impossible. The rules they put on you … to make it work you would have to reschedule the entire conference.”
Simms said that West Greene’s girls volleyball and cross country teams also will not be competing while the school is shut down.