CIF commissioner scheduled to announce decision on playoffs for spring sports Monday

Christian Sanchez of Laguna Hills gets ready in the on deck circle Thursday during the PCL game with Woodbridge. (Photo TIm Burt, OC Sports Zone)

ANALYSIS

High school spring sports is in full gear with many teams, including baseball squads, battling it out in league competition.

The Pacific Coast League has completed one third of its 24-game baseball schedule and all the other spring sports are in full gear too.

Football has one more week after this week and won’t be having CIF playoffs as decided earlier by the CIF.

However, an announcement on whether the spring sports will have CIF post-season events will be made Monday afternoon by CIF Southern Section Commissioner Rob Wigod during a press conference, according to Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner.

It’s an annnouncement that will be highly anticipated by returning athletes who had their seasons cut short last spring by the coronavirus pandemic.

We don’t know what the CIF has apparently decided but the CIF State Office released a summary of guidelines regarding high school sports from the California Department of Public Health which may lead to some good news regarding playoffs, but we’re not sure if all sports will get the green light.

In the past, there has been concern about whether CIF playoffs could happen among teams in different counties, but the release from the CIF state office appears to open the door to that happening.

“Inter-team competitions, meets, races, or similar events are permitted to occur only with other teams within
the state,” the new guidance said. “Local Health Departments to be notified of any cross-county (multiple counties) competitions within their jurisdiction and reserve the right under their own discretion to deny the competition at any time in their jurisdiction. Teams participating in cross-county (multiple counties) competitions will follow the more stringent rules if the participating teams are coming from counties that may be at different case rate thresholds.”

The guidelines also addressed tournaments but provided certain exceptions and noted that doubleheaders would be permitted. The guidelines certainly can be interpreted a number of ways.

“No tournaments or events that involve more than two teams may occur. (For example, multi-team contests such as volleyball or wrestling tournaments and basketball showcase events may not occur),” the guidelines said. “Exceptions may be made, with authorization from the local health department where the event is being held and each of the local health departments where teams originate from, for the sports listed below where individual competitors from multiple teams are routine: track and field; cross country; golf; skiing/snowboarding; tennis; swimming/diving/surfing. (Competition between two schools in the aforementioned team sports does not need county approval.)

“A single team may only play another single team within the same day. (Doubleheader between same two teams is permitted).”

So, we will find out Monday about post-season competition during the press conference which will be carried on the CIF’s You Tube Channel (@CIF-SS).

Certainly, coronavirus case numbers continue to improve in Orange County and with more people getting vaccinated the overall picture is definitely brighter.

Meanwhile, the games go on. Two PCL baseball teams, Woodbridge and Laguna Hills battled it out for first place Thursday at Ryan Lemmon Stadium. There appeared to be less than 100 fans in the stands and those fans who were there maintained social distancing and most wore masks. There were no post-game handshakes, but for the most part, it was just like high school baseball as usual.

The mood of fans and players was similar to March 6, 2020 when the Woodbridge and Irvine baseball teams played in front of hundreds at Ryan Lemmon Stadium. Players and coaches left the field that day not knowing what was in store. As it turned out, the pandemic took hold and that was the last game of the season and the last live sporting event OC Sports Zone, including this reporter, covered in 2020.

We were back at the stadium for the first time in more than a year Thursday and we were grateful to be able to safely cover it (wearing a mask as required by state officials and the CIF) for post-game interviews).

Now, we wait for Monday’s CIF announcement and perhaps more signs of progress.

—TIm Burt, OC Sports Zone; timburt@ocsportszone.com