FOND DU LAC – Fond du Lac High School began its fall sports season Monday morning when the girls golf team played in the school’s first WIAA competition since March.

It was the last competition, too.

The Fond du Lac school board voted to move fall sports to the alternate spring plan during a Monday evening meeting.

“At tonight’s school board meeting, the board voted to move all fall sports to the fall alternative season offered by the WIAA,” the athletic department said on Twitter. “We are disappointed, but (will) do what is necessary to offer a meaning(ful) season in the early spring.”

Virus spread has been the main factor school districts have relied on when deciding to play fall sports during the spring. Fond du Lac County has had the fifth-most coronavirus cases per 100,000 residents over the past seven days in Wisconsin.

The county health department recommended high schools in the county don’t play sports this fall, and the board has followed that advice. The athletic department didn’t have a say in the decision.

“We’ll get back to making sure we’re offering our strength and conditioning programs and those training opportunities to our kids and making sure they’re staying in shape, stay focused and try to keep them as engaged as possible as we try to cover this for about three months,” athletic director David Michalkiewicz said.

It will be a long wait until the first day of practice March 8, 2021, for the Fond du Lac football team to formally meet again. The Cardinals were hoping to make a deep playoff run, but unfortunately for them the alternate season doesn’t have a postseason.

Contact Jerell Rushin at 920-279-4974 or jrushin@gannett.com. Follow him on Twitter at @jerellrushin_.