CLEARFIELD – Clearfield Area Junior-Senior High School student-athletes will compete this fall amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

At Monday night’s school board meeting, Superintendent Terry Struble reported that the PIAA voted on Friday afternoon to move forward with the fall sports season.

The PIAA board, via a 25-5 vote, passed regulations to begin the fall sports season Monday. The season will include all of the typical fall sports, both outdoor and indoor.

While practices officially started Monday, games cannot be played until Sept. 11, according to previously-published GANT News reports from ExloreJefferson.com.

“The board agrees the decision to compete in athletics should be made locally allowing for each school entity to decide whether to proceed and which sports to sponsor,” said the PIAA in a release.

“As the health and safety of students is paramount in moving forward with athletics, the board believes that through each member schools’ adherence to their developed school health and safety plans and the PIAA return to competition guidelines, sports can continue.”

Struble said in June the school board approved a COVID-19 health and safety plan for summer activities and athletics. Students are permitted to participate so long as they’ve signed a liability waiver release.

He said the district will strictly follow the guidance of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Governor’s office, Pennsylvania Department of Health and the PIAA.

He said spectators will not be permitted at the events, and the district is looking to take a shot at livestreaming its events for the students’ families and local sports fans.

Board member Phil Carr asked if the board had to vote to move forward with the fall sports schedule. Struble said no because it was part of the district’s health and safety plan approved in June.

When asked about the potential liability, the solicitor said, “There’s an inherent risk coming to school, there’s inherent risk playing football, but the reality is if we’re following the guidance, … I don’t see liability even if someone contracts COVID-19.

“Now if everyone thumbed their nose and said we’re not going to do X, Y and Z and follow the guidance/order, I think then you’re in a less than beneficial position to defend it.”

The solicitor said there shouldn’t be any student-athlete on the playing field without a waiver form being submitted to the district first. “That was a condition pre-season, and taken care of at least two months ago.”

Carr said he didn’t believe that it was worth the risk but couldn’t vote against it since the board wasn’t required by the PIAA to take any official action Monday night.

The PIAA also unanimously voted on Friday afternoon to monitor the progress of the fall season, and make changes if necessary.