Football coaches at Segerstrom, Crean Lutheran and Laguna Hills expect January start

Segerstrom players take the field in a game last season. (File photo courtesy Mark Bausman, For OC Sports Zone)

Several Orange County football coaches and one district athletic director said they expect CIF State and Southern Section officials to announce a delay in the start of the high school sports season on Monday.

CIF State officials are expected to make the official announcement on Monday at 9 a.m. CIF Southern Section officials will follow with an announcement pertaining to the section, then Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod will hold a press conference at 1 p.m.

There are strong indications the fall season, which normally starts in August, will begin in January, or possibly later. California Gov. Gavin Newsom said in a televised press conference Friday that most schools in the state, including those in Orange and Los Angeles counties, will have to start the year with on-line classes only because of rising case numbers relating to the coronavirus pandemic.

The announcement could make for more of a challenge in starting high school sports. Wigod previously said that students would have to be on campus in order for athletics to start.

“Our schools obviously need to open, and they need to open for academics first,” Wigod said in an interview in May. “And then at some point, they will decide if it’s time for the athletic teams to come back and begin working out.”

It remains to be seen if the case numbers will go down in time to allow schools to have students on campus and practices and games to be held or if practices can be held with students taking on-line courses only and not in school.

OC Sports Zone received these responses Thursday:

Joseph Tagaloa, head football coach at Segerstrom:  “I am eagerly awaiting what CIF has come up with for our calendar. I am sure given the current situation that our season is going to be pushed back. Everyone that I have talked to has hinted at a January start date, which I am OK with. I realize during a time like this, the safety and health of everyone involved in a season has to be the number one priority. With that being said, many of our student-athletes’ health aligns with being able to play football. We have players who use football as a stress release which benefits their mental health as well as motivation to physically stay in shape and make better choices when it comes time to eat. At the end of the day, I am OK with any new start date as long as we are given a chance to have a season.”

Mark Cunningham, Irvine Unified School District Athletic Director: “I believe that based on where were are now and where we were when athletics came to an end last March, I wouldn’t think the season is going to start as scheduled.  On March 28 to March 29 we went  from 1,468 to 4,598 new cases. In the last seven days, California has had 59,192 new cases. That is an average of 8,456 new cases.”

“So I would expect CIF to announce we are not starting on time.  I believe the CIF will propose a plan that would suggest starting later. Perhaps January/February, maybe sooner. Information is changing daily.  We are getting data from across the world that is helpful but also different than what was said yesterday.  If we do not start as scheduled that will allow high school programs time to prepare for a new starting date.  It will now provide coaches with a time table to implement programs so that when the season does start, our athletes will be as well prepared as possible. 

“I know Rob Wigod, the Southern Section Commissioner, is committed to having a fall, winter and spring season. I trust that is exactly what will happen. During the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918, football didn’t start until March of 1919.  I believe we will have teams competing against each other sometime this school year.”

Rick Curtis, football coach at Crean Lutheran: “From all indications the CIF calendar will be moved back to January, with 12 week seasons (including playoffs). My concern is if the CIF state playoffs for football are included in that time frame.  Currently, (by my calculations) you only have 56 schools that are involved in the state playoffs, therefore, I would propose to eliminate the state playoffs for 2021, as the community colleges have done. That way you could maximize the number of games that schools can play during the season.

“We have had so much time away from our players. Our players and a large percentage of parents want us to be back out there and I know that is the way it is across Orange County. I have seen and heard of players working out in garages, parks, with private trainers and club teams, and flying around the country for showcases. I have also heard of players jumping the fences at their school to hold their own practices. Everyone put so much time into the preparation for summer training, had their protocols in place, and then we had to shut it down.

“It was disheartening to the players, coaches, athletic trainers, parents, and administrators. It will be interesting to see when we can begin officialpractices. Coaches, players and parents may be open to practice during the winter break to ensure that we can have a full season, but I have no idea if that has been discussed. Winter sports are used to practicing and going to winter tournaments during the winter season.

“I think at this point, we will go with whatever allows this senior class to have their final season in high school in all sports.”

Mike Maceranka, football coach, Laguna Hills: “I expect to see football start in January. It seems highly unlikely we can get started anytime soon with the rates of infection increasing day and schools opening online. Hopefully the infection rates start decreasing and we can begin preparations in October and be prepared for the winter start. Although this is a bit disappointing to many, I am encouraged that we will still have a season and it will not be canceled. We are all in the same boat and the safety of our players, coaches and families are the most important as we move forward.”

-Tim Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com