Even though the Super Six Football Championships games were completely canceled because of increases of positive cases for COVID-19 throughout the state of West Virginia, the executive director of the W.Va. Secondary Schools Activities Commission continued to insist playing what games were possible was important to high school students in the Mountain State.
The WVSSAC named three gridiron champions following the release of the state Department of Education’s color-coded map Saturday afternoon with St. Marys as the Class A winner, Fairmont Sr. in Class AA, and South Charleston is the Class AAA champ. Wheeling Central Catholic, Wheeling Park High, and John Marshall all qualified for the playoffs but were eliminated by the COVID-19 alert map prior to the first round.
“We had an obligation to try to give the kids something,” said Bernie Dolan. “I know there were studies done that indicated when everything we shut down in the spring, that the kids’ anxiety levels and depression were through the roof. So, we knew we had to have something for them.
“We got the golf championship in and then cross country and soccer,” he said. “But when we got into the volleyball postseason, we could see that things were starting to unravel because we had several teams that qualified that were unable to play. And, of course, we all know by now what happened with football.”
Worst-Case Scenario
Not only were the three Super 6 games pulled from Wheeling Island Stadium and moved to Charleston’s Laidley Field last week because the map determined Ohio County was in the “Orange” category, but then the state’s Nov. 28 Covid alert map nixed all of the on-field title contests.
Today, Marshall and Ohio counties are listed in “Red,” and the school children are home with virtual learning platforms instead of in-person instruction.
“When we got started with the playoffs, we knew there was a chance that some of the games could get canceled because of the map, and then we thought maybe we could have one or two championships,” Dolan said. “But to have all three of the championships canceled is the worst-case scenario. But when the map came out this past Saturday, the numbers wiped out two semifinal games and the other two championships, and the color code won.
“When the regular season started and we were seeing a lot of games getting played, we were very optimistic, and even when some games were scratched, a lot of high schools were picking up new games so they could get their players on the field,” he said. “But when this surge in positive cases started about a month ago, we did realize some of the games could be in jeopardy.”
Another Push Back?
W.Va. Gov. Jim Justice announced on Nov. 13 that winter sports were postponed until Jan. 11 and that all practices must stop until that time. The WVSSAC sanctions basketball, swimming, wrestling, and cheerleading that normally take place between late-November through March. Dolan, in fact, was forced to halt the girls’ state basketball championships in March.
The boys’ tourney was completely canceled as were all athletics for the entire spring season.
At this time, however, Dolan is not 100 percent confident with the Jan. 11 start date.
“I know Gov. Justice is very concerned about this winter, and so am I, so I do think it is possible that the beginning of those seasons could be moved back,” the executive director reported. “I can see basketball, swimming, and wrestling being more difficult than what the fall season was. They are going to be a challenge.
“We could see abbreviated seasons because they could get pushed back. We really don’t know how this is going to play out,” Dolan added. “And the spring sports could go into late June. We just have to wait and see what we’re able to do.”
