BURLINGTON, Vt. (WCAX) -The hoped for start of the fall high school sports season has been put on hold.
Schools in the southern part of Vermont, members of the Southern Vermont League, had scheduled the first games of this abbreviated fall season this coming Monday, September 21st. They did so in hopes of starting the fall season, which was already shortened due to the multiple challenges brought on by the pandemic, as quickly as possible.
But for that to happen, Vermont state health officials had to first sign off on moving from Step II to Step III of the state’s Strong and Health Start Plan for Vermont schools.
The Vermont Principals’ Association confirmed via emial Friday morning that that move to Step III will not be happening next week. That decision being relayed to school Superintendents in a meeting with the Secretary of Education on Thursday. So, as of now, games scheduled for next week have been postponed.
Schools in the northern part of the state, part of the Northern Vermont Athletic Conference, had previously decided to hold off on scheduling games until the week of September 28th, primarily because it was unknown when exactly the move to Step III would occur.
The 7-on-7 high school football season was also set to begin next Friday and Saturday. Middlebury High School athletic director Sean Farrell, the state scheduler for the Vermont Interscholastic Football League, told Channel Three Sports via email Friday afternoon that the decision whether to cancel or postpone those initial games are, at this time, being left to the individual schools. Farrell said, at Middlebury, they will continue to prepare for that season opener next Friday night, and make the call on if the game needs to be canceled at a later time.

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