Tag: Ohio High School Athletic Association

Ohio bans Saturday games for high school football playoffs

High school football is meant to be played on Friday nights.

High school football is meant to be played on Friday nights, but a lot of games take place on Saturdays – especially in the playoffs. That won’t be the case in the state of Ohio going forward, though.

Responding to requests by its coaches, the Ohio High School Athletic Association has banned playoff games on Saturdays. Instead, all postseason games through the state semifinals will take place on Fridays, per Jeff Gilbert at the Dayton Daily News.

“All playoff games through the state semifinals will be played on Friday nights… For several seasons the playoffs followed the Friday-Saturday model in the regional semifinals, regional finals and state semifinals. That schedule had Divisions I, II, III and V playing on Fridays and Divisions IV, VI and VIII playing on Saturdays…”

(Colerain quarterback Zacchaeus Jennings (7) hands off to running back Dashawn Hopper (10) in the second quarter of the first OHSAA DIV I Playoff game between the Mason High School Comets and the Colerain High School Cardinals at Atrium Stadium in Mason, Ohio, on Friday, Oct. 28, 2022.)

The first Friday night for teams in Ohio this year is August 18. The season runs through October 21.

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Ohio high school football allowed to proceed with fall season

At a press conference on Tuesday, Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced that fall sports can proceed in the state for 2020.

Ohio high school sports are still on for the fall — at least for now.

At a press conference on Tuesday, Governor Mike DeWine announced the approval of all high school sports in the fall. It’s a step in the right direction for those that want to proceed forward with high school football and other sports during the coronavirus pandemic. Without a statewide mandate, the decision to play will now fall on individual conferences and schools.

DeWine said he collaborated with many stakeholders in allowing fall sports to proceed — speaking to parents, students, administrators, and medical experts. He did reiterate that the decision to play does not come without risk, however.

“I hope that the desire to have a season will inspire our student-athletes to be as careful as they can 24/7,” DeWine said. “I hope our coaches will use this as an opportunity to focus on helping these young people understand what really is at stake and that if they’re going to be able to play that they’re gonna have to do whatever they can to keep COVID out of their team.”

Additionally, spectators at any games that are played will be extremely limited. Only family members and those who are close to the athlete playing will be allowed to attend. Those decisions will be up to the individual schools.

DeWine also emphasized the need and benefits of playing sports through the concerns of a worldwide pandemic.

“Just as going back to school in person increases the risks, sports – and especially contact sports – does as well. The more spread there is in community and the school, the higher the risk is in the community. On the other hand, we know the importance of sports. Sports matters and makes a difference.”

So, if you are keeping score — and I know you are — young student-athletes in high school are able to play, but college student-athletes with much more stringent monitoring and protocols in place cannot.

We aren’t writing the memo, we are just reading it.