Miami-Dade, Broward counties trying to pick up the pieces, resume all fall sports

Fort Lauderdale St. Thomas Aquinas, Miami Westminster Christian, Fort Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons and Doral Divine Savior Academy have all won state volleyball titles at least once within the past five years.

They were among the private and charter schools that have advanced to regionals with the state tournament less than a month away.

But for longtime rivals like Ferguson and Southwest in Miami, the 2020 season could be more about claiming bragging rights in South Florida.

Public school football teams in Miami-Dade and Broward counties are preparing to play an abbreviated schedule that they are aiming to culminate with a tri-county championship also involving schools from Palm Beach.

Meanwhile, discussions are taking place among principals and athletic directors from all three counties to put together tri-county championships to cap shortened seasons for the rest of the fall sports — girls’ volleyball, swimming and diving, cross-country, golf and bowling.

After the Florida High School Athletic Association chose to start the fall calendar on Aug. 24, it gave schools the choice to opt out by Sept. 18 if they felt they weren’t ready to start their seasons by then due to COVID-19 concerns.

St. Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Gibbons were the only Broward County Athletic Association member schools that opted to stay in every fall sport.

In volleyball, all Dade and Broward public schools opted out.

But those schools received permission recently to return to their gyms for practices.

GMAC and BCAA schools are hoping to begin an abbreviated schedule starting the week of Oct. 26 that will include up to 15 regular-season matches and run through mid-December.

There are also plans to hold the annual eight-team GMAC tournament toward the end of the season.

Ferguson, led by 5-7 senior outside hitter Christina Benavides and 5-6 senior libero Andrea Acevedo, returned to the practice court last week. It wasn’t until a month ago that teams were allowed to even partake in workouts together. Ferguson players did so outdoors at the tennis courts at the school.

“It was a challenge in the offseason because all we could really do until recently was just individual workouts, nothing even in a team setting,” Ferguson coach Greg Shanower said.

Teams like Ferguson have been getting used to the new social distancing guidelines as well.

During matches, players and coaches will be required to wear masks, and social distancing will be followed as far as seating for players and coaches on the sidelines. The customary high-fives between teams will not take place nor will teams switch sides between each set for precautionary reasons.

For the time being, spectators are not likely to be allowed to attend matches.

“For a while we kept the kids in small groups and everyone wears their masks even while they’re on the court,” Shanower said. “We’re going to do have players keep their masks on even during matches on the court this year just to stay safe.”

Southwest, which has defeated Ferguson each of the past two seasons in the regional semifinal round, is expected to battle the Falcons as well as Coral Reef and Palmetto for large school supremacy in the county.

West Broward, a regional finalist each of the past seven seasons, is expected to be the strongest among the BCAA member schools that opted out. The Bobcats, however, have lost to Coral Reef, Ferguson and Southwest in the playoffs during that span.

STATE PLAYOFFS

As for the teams that opted in, several have advanced to regionals as of Wednesday. Here’s a breakdown by district — 16-6A: Hialeah Gardens Mater Academy, St. Thomas Aquinas; 16-5A: Plantation American Heritage, Southwest Ranches Archbishop McCarthy; 13-4A: Fort Lauderdale Pine Crest, Cardinal Gibbons; 14-4A: Mater Lakes, Pembroke Pines Somerset Academy; 15-4A: Miami La Salle, Miami MAST; 12-3A: Hollywood Calvary Christian, Boca St. John Paul II; 13-3A: Davie Posnack, Hollywood Chaminade-Madonna; 14-3A: Divine Savior; 15-3A: Miami Carrollton, Miami Ransom Everglades; 16-3A: Westminster Christian, Somerset Silver Palms; 14-2A: Boca Raton Christian, Highlands Christian; 15-2A: Horeb Christian, Sheridan Hills Christian; 16-2A: Westwood Christian, Miami Christian.

GOLF

Miami Columbus is the only GMAC team that opted in and won their district tournament last week. Miami Beach and Miami Braddock each were among schools that had individual players participate. The Explorers will play in the Region 2-3A meet along with Aquinas on Monday in Kissimmee. The Class 1A boys and girls hosted by Ransom Everglades at Crandon Park (boys Monday, girls Tuesday). Class 2A girls will be hosted by Archbishop McCarthy at Grand Palms Spa and Golf Resort on Tuesday and the boys at Parkland G&CC.

The state championships are scheduled to be played at the Mission Inn Resort & Club at Howey-in-the-Hills. The Class 2A meet will take place Oct. 27-28 with the Class 3A meet Oct. 30-31 and the Class 1A meet Nov. 3-4.

CROSS-COUNTRY

GMAC schools like as Braddock, Coral Reef, Coral Park, Columbus and Southridge remained in the state series as well as BCAA members St. Thomas Aquinas and Cardinal Gibbons in Broward. Districts are scheduled for the week of Oct. 26 with regionals the following week Nov. 2-7. The state meet is scheduled for Nov. 13-14 at Apalachee Regional Park in Tallahassee.

SWIMMING

Braddock, Columbus, Coral Reef, Palmetto, Hialeah and MAST Academy remained in the state series. District meets in Classes 4A-3A are scheduled for Oct. 19-24 with regionals on Oct. 26-31 and the state meet Nov. 6-7 at Sailfish Splash Waterpark and Aquatics Center in Stuart. The Class 2A-1A districts are scheduled for Oct. 26-31 with regionals on Nov. 2-7 and state on Nov. 13-14.

BOWLING

The Palmetto boys chose to compete in the state season along with Gulliver, Belen Jesuit, American Heritage and Archbishop McCarthy. Districts are scheduled for Oct. 27-30 at Bird Bowl and SpareZ Bowling Center with the state meet at Boardwalk Bowl in Orlando Nov. 3-5.