(EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the conclusion of a two-part Times News series on the PIAA’s decision to delay the start of the fall sports season over concerns caused by the coronavirus pandemic. Today’s story details how coaches and players are approaching the uncertainty surrounding the upcoming campaign.)

By PATRICK MATSINKO

pmatsinko@tnonline.com

Health and safety has been paramount for school districts implementing their return to play plans over the summer.

Those measures have remained the focal point in workouts leading up to the fall sports season, which the PIAA delayed for two weeks last Friday.

Northern Lehigh cross-country coach Dave Oertner has seen just about everything in his nearly 40 years of coaching, but the circumstances surrounding the coronavirus pandemic are more than enough to give him pause heading into the fall.

“I’m sort of caught in between,” he said. “I teach science, and you see how easily it can be transferred, and it’s scary. Honestly, I’m not real comfortable. From a personal standpoint, I’m older and I’ve had my issues, and being exposed to something, you don’t want kids taking it home to their parents and grandparents.

“Cross-country is one of those sports where you can maintain your distance, and do things where you can sort of space the kids out, and you’re outdoors and not really coming into contact too much. But they’re still going to be hanging together before practice and after practice; you’re still going to be getting out there and doing it together, as a group. Even though you try your best to keep them separated, it’s difficult and it’s a tough expectation for kids. The expectations for them are that they’re going to all stay separate and do things the way they’re supposed to be done, and for the most part they will. But there are certain situations where you might be exposing yourself to it, and it’s kind of dangerous, it really is.”

Should the season move forward as planned on Aug. 24 after the PIAA revisits the situation at its next meeting Aug. 21, schools will also be looking at different schedules as districts and conferences come up with their own plans for what best fits their situation.

The Eastern Pennsylvania Conference, which includes Pleasant Valley, already delayed the start of contact sports and revamped its divisional format and schedules by county over concerns related to the coronavirus pandemic.

The Lehighton field hockey team, which competes as an independent, had seven EPC teams on its original schedule.

Seniors Alicia Schaffer and Jenna Trilli are working to stay ready for whenever the season begins - and whomever they might be playing.

“Everyone else is trying to do the same things as you,” said Trilli. “Everyone is pushing themselves, so you have to make sure you’re keeping up with them.

“A lot of the girls are coming to the field, they’re working out, and they’re trying to push themselves,” said Schaffer. “And by coming to practice and showing how they’re still improving and practicing, even though we’re not having as many practices as we used to, or that we might not have a season, it still pushes the other girls try to get better.”

Coaches and players are eager to make the most of the opening to continue to make up for lost time, and maximize the opportunity while they have it.

“For us, we obviously had a big graduating class, so we’re a young team and we’re taking advantage of it,” said Tamaqua football coach Sam Bonner. “We didn’t get that time in the spring, so we’re trying to implement as much of the stuff as we can, and try to get the young guys we’re going to have playing for us this year ready.

“But we’re prepping just like we’re going to play Northwestern Week 1 right now. And that’s all you really can do just because there are so many questions.”

It’s still unclear if the season would start with Week 1, or jump ahead to Week 3. Any postseason changes are also unknown.

The Blue Raiders were scheduled to play Northwestern Aug. 28.

“Right now, even with the spring being taken away, we’re probably going to have 50 offseason workouts,” said Bonner. “The kids have been working hard, we’ve had good numbers at our workouts, which is awesome, especially after graduating a class of 17 great kids. Our numbers have been really good, so we’re just kind of hoping the kids don’t lose interest with everything being delayed and the season possibly being put off that they think it’s not going to happen and stop showing up.”

The Colonial League recently voted 8-5 to start its fall sports seasons on schedule, though schools can decide independently to play, postpone or cancel contests.

The Northwestern boys’ soccer team was also slated to play a few EPC squads and District 1 schools outside of its Colonial League schedule.

“I’m not counting on any of those nonleague games at this point,” said Northwestern head coach Nate Hunsicker. “So even if we get in our regular league slate, and maybe not even have a league tournament, but have districts and states to potentially look forward to.

“At this point, I’m trying to get my mind in a place where I can accept that we won’t be playing in the fall, but hopefully be playing in the spring. And obviously that season is going to look very different from what it normally would. But especially for the kids’ sake, the seniors’ sake, they’ll get to leave this last year of their high school career with some type of season.”

Is it a matter of ‘if’ there will be a fall sports season, or ‘when?’

“It’s a tough situation,” said Oertner. “I’m playing it by ear like everybody else, waiting for decisions to be made by the school, the PIAA and abide by the rules and from a coaching standpoint, try to keep the kids as healthy as you can, and do what you can.

“The situation is different for every sport. Cross-country and football operate differently ... golf and tennis operate differently. So each sport can operate within their own realm and try to stay as safe as they can. You just have to make the best decisions you can based on the information you have.”

Major college conferences have made headlines this week postponing their fall sports season, and hoping to get on the field in the spring.

Delaware and Maryland have pushed back the start of fall sports until next year. New Jersey is planning to start the fall sports season on Oct. 1, while New York’s is delayed.

There isn’t going to be a one-size-fits-all plan, but Pennsylvania’s pause has bought time to work collaboratively with Gov. Tom Wolf, the Department of Health and the Department of Education to continue the discussion on fall sports.

“The whole goal is teamwork,” said Oertner. “We need to put that to use, and have everybody work together for a common goal.”