Harris County’s order for public and non-religious private schools to delay in-person instruction until at least Sept. 8 missed Stafford High School by 2 miles.
The county order was announced three days after the University Interscholastic League released its revised fall sports calendar and prohibits extracurricular activities, athletics included, until face-to-face instruction begins.
Stafford, in Fort Bend County, remains on the UIL’s fall schedule for Class 4A schools, which allows volleyball and football practices to start Aug. 3. The volleyball regular season commences Aug. 10 and football follows Aug. 27 for Class 4A and smaller schools.
If Stafford were in Harris County, it would see a chunk of its football schedule wiped out and forced to dive into a district slate in late September with nothing under its belt except a rushed training camp and one or two non-district games. Meanwhile, its league opponents and other Class 4A schools in more rural parts of the state would benefit from a full schedule.
The school was already dealt a harsh blow with the UIL boys basketball state tournament canceled in the spring after its team qualified.
“As we make plans, we know there’s a possibility at any point and time and any day, the (Fort Bend County) judge may come up and say ‘Hey, we’re not going to let you guys open until this time,’” Stafford athletic director and football head coach Ken Savanah said. “We’re making two and three sets of plans. That’s about what it has come to.”
The UIL keeping Class 4A and smaller schools on the August schedule is the result of COVID-19’s effect on rural areas of the state compared to major population centers. The UIL’s revised calendar pushed football and volleyball start dates to September for 6A and 5A schools. All five of the state’s largest counties — Harris, Dallas, Tarrant, Bexar and Travis — ordered the closure of public schools at least through Labor Day.
Those county orders and the UIL’s revised plans cause massive rescheduling and canceling of games between teams from different classifications this season. It also leaves smaller schools nestled in or around Texas’ largest cities in an even more precarious spot.
In Dallas County, 12 schools compete in either 4A or 3A, meaning a chunk of their football schedules are wiped out as it stands now. In the Houston area, Huffman Hargrave and Houston ISD — with eight of its 24 UIL schools in Class 4A — are at a disadvantage.
Before Harris County’s order, the state’s largest district already declared it would delay the start of school to Sept. 8. Houston ISD is beginning the school year with an online-only curriculum through at least Oct. 16. No extracurricular activities are allowed during that period, according to Houston ISD’s reopening plan, which affects the district’s 6A and 5A schools as well. The UIL deadline for districts to determine football playoff teams is Nov. 7 for 4A and smaller and Dec. 5 for 6A-5A.
Houston ISD press secretary Sherry Williams told the Chronicle on Tuesday there was no update from the district in relation to the UIL’s revised calendar. The UIL says it’s prepared to facilitate whatever options districts like Houston ISD or Dallas ISD have.
“With the understanding that not all schools will be able to start at the same time, this plan allows for schools to make playing decisions at the local level, and the UIL will work directly with schools that have scheduling issues not addressed in this plan to allow them flexibility to complete as many contests as possible,” the UIL said in a statement.
Harris County’s order affects the Houston area’s Class 6A and 5A athletics programs, too. Volleyball and football teams in 6A-5A are allowed by the UIL to start practicing Sept. 7 with volleyball’s regular season beginning Sept. 14 and Week 1’s first high school football games on Sept. 24.
The order pushes the regular season start for 6A and 5A football teams inside Harris County back one week. The UIL states 6A and 5A programs unable to offer strength and conditioning since Aug. 24 cannot do so until Sept. 7 with football practices in shoulder pads beginning Sept. 14, scrimmages Sept. 24-26 and the regular season’s first games Oct. 1-3.
Houston ISD teams’ availability cut one of Savanah’s options for filling holes on a non-district football schedule impacted by the UIL’s revisions. Savanah, who originally had 5A teams on the schedule, filled an open scrimmage date with Livingston and a Week 1 date with La Marque.
Location hurt Hargrave, which sits in the northeastern corner of Harris County.
Hargrave is the only school inside Harris County in a 10-4A Division I football district also featuring Livingston, Lumberton, Little Cypress-Mauriceville, Splendora and Vidor.
The UIL encourages districts to get creative with its league games, including moving them to the front of the schedule or adopting zone play. Those aren’t options for Hargrave with Harris County’s order.
Hargrave athletic director and football head coach Mike McEachern said it makes a difference his district opponents will be significantly ahead unless something changes. Perhaps his team can get two non-district games in but it all hinges on if another shutdown is looming.
“We’ve said all along this whole year, you’re going to be kind of coaching and holding your breath,” McEachern said. “At the same time, you worry that any day you’re going to get an announcement that it’s time to take a break. That’s just part of it right now.”
For now, anxiousness is building. On his players’ McEachern added, “I’ll tell you this: We’ll be fresh, and we’ll be hungry. I can promise you that.”
adam.coleman@chron.com
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