UPDATE: Anaheim Union allows sports teams to resume workouts; no change in tiers

Cypress football coach Rick Feldman will lead his team back into conditioning practices Wednesday. (File photo: Fernando M. Donado, For OC Sports Zone)

Anaheim Union District officials announced Tuesday that high school athletic teams, including football squads, may resume athletic conditioning, which came to a stop in December due to the coronavirus pandemic, on Wednesday.

High schools in the district are Anaheim, Cypress, Katella, Kennedy, Loara, Magnolia, Savanna and Western.

“Practices are able to begin on Wednesday under phase 2, which is conditioning,” said Cypress High Athletic Director Jeffrey Russell.

“The only sport allowed to compete as of now would be cross country unless we get to lower colored tiers.”

Although Orange County and the rest of Southern California remains in the most restrictive purple tier, cross country competition is being allowed.

Russell said that the Cypress football team will be able to resume workouts on Wednesday, but in order for the season to start in March, Orange County would have to drop into the orange tier, two tiers below purple.

Since the basketball teams won’t be allowed to use the gymnasium, the Cypress teams will be doing outside conditioning, Russell said.

Western High football coach Dan Davidson said he welcomed the update.

“I am super excited to have the guys back together, at least for conditioning,” Davidson said. “Looks like we’re trending in the right direction to hopefully be able to get back to school and compete again.”

CIF officials are hoping that an abbreviated season can start in March and last until April 17 with no playoffs.

Also on Tuesday, CIF officials released their weekly listing of tiers established by the California Department of Public Health. While coronavirus cases have been trending lower, Orange County remained in the most restrictive purple tier.

There was one change as Del Norte County moved from the purple tier into the less restrictive red tier, according to Thom Simmons, assistant commissioner of the CIF Southern Section.

RETURN TO PLAY GUIDELINES

(As of Feb. 9)

CIF State:

Season 1 sports (January – April): Traditional competitive cheer, cross country, field hockey, football, gymnastics, skiing/snowboarding, girls volleyball and water polo.

Season 2 sports (March – June): Badminton, baseball, basketball, competitive sport cheer, golf, lacrosse, soccer, softball, swimming and
diving, tennis, track and field, boys volleyball and wrestling.

Tiers by California Department of Public Health:

Purple (Widespread): Sports allowed cross country, golf, skiing/
snowboarding, swimming and diving, tennis, and
track and field.

Red (Substantial): Sports allowed baseball, field hockey,
girls lacrosse and softball.

Moderate (Orange): Sports allowed badminton, football,
gymnastics, boys lacrosse, soccer, volleyball and
water polo.

Minimal (Yellow): Sports allowed basketball,
competitive cheerleading and wrestling.

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