High school sports postponed until May. Could ‘creative solutions’ continue seasons?
The Florida High School Athletic Association has postponed all athletic events through at least May 3 because of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic but has not completely ruled out the possibility of spring sports continuing, even if it means extending seasons into June.
Sports impacted by this include baseball, softball, track and field, tennis, lacrosse, water polo, boys’ volleyball, flag football, and boys’ weightlifting. Spring football was also set to begin on April 27.
“In light of the current situation, the FHSAA staff is actively working on creative solutions for the continuance of spring sports, which could extend through June 30th,” the association said in a press release. “The FHSAA does understand the hardships caused by COVID-19 and the inability to play spring sports. If we are not able to continue spring sports, the FHSAA is working diligently to create a plan regarding additional eligibility for students who have not been able to participate in spring sports.”
The announcement came a day after the Florida Department of Education recommended that schools stay online until at least May 1. All sports in the state had previously been put on hold since March 18, but the FHSAA left open the opportunity at that time for spring state championships to continue even if they were at a later date.
That still appears to be the case.
So, at least for the time being, there is no formal end to the high school athletic season in Florida and teams have reason to hold out hope that their seasons will continue.
Miami-Dade and Broward counties last season combined to win 14 team state titles during the spring cycle: one in baseball (Miami Christian, 2A), one in softball (Coral Springs Charter, 4A), five in track and field (Columbus, 4A boys; St. Thomas Aquinas, 4A girls; Miami Northwestern, 3A boys and 3A girls; Hallandale, 2A girls), five in tennis (Palmetto, 4A boys; Krop, 4A girls; Doral Academy, 3A girls; Gulliver Prep, 2A boys and girls) and two in water polo (Gulliver Prep boys, Ransom Everglades girls). Another 10 teams were state runners-up.
The two counties also brought home 36 event titles in track and field and won eight of 16 individual tennis titles (singles and doubles) at the state championships.
Plantation American Heritage baseball, 10-0 when the season stopped and the likely favorite to win the Class 4A title, ranked as the No. 5 team in the country and the top team in the state, according to MaxPreps.
A dozen others were ranked among the top 10 in their classifications: West Broward (No. 8), Cypress Bay (No. 9), and Columbus (No. 10) in 7A; St. Thomas Aquinas (No. 6) in 6A; Archbishop McCarthy (No. 6) in 5A; Cardinal Gibbons (No. 2) and North Broward Prep (No. 9) in 4A; SLAM Academy (No. 6) in 3A; and Miami Christian (No. 6), Brito (No. 7), Archbishop Carroll (No. 9), and Sagemont (No. 10) in 2A.
In softball, Cooper City ranked No. 5 nationally and second in the state after its 7-0 start. Coral Springs Charter (No. 10) and Doral Academy (No. 24) also ranked among the top 25 teams in the state regardless of classification. All three reached at least the state semifinals last year.
Southwest boys’ volleyball, which was swept in the state championship last year, looked to make another postseason run. Cardinal Gibbons and Archbishop McCarthy had the talent to go deep into the playoffs as well.
This story was originally published March 31, 2020 at 1:10 PM.
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