It’s the day that soccer players, cross country runners and golfers have been waiting for the start of the 2020 fall sport season. The athletes and coaches finally got the good news last Thursday and now it’s all systems go.

(Tim McCue):”When we were told the other night that we were good to go they all started cheering. They are ready to go and they are going to follow the mandates as we all are and to be safe. We are really looking forward to playing some soccer.”

(Roy Alden):” It has been a long summer waiting especially not having track last spring. I really missed the kids and missed the competitoin. It is great that the MPA has finally decided to give us a shot and I think if people do everything that needs to be done and does it properly we are going to be able to give our student athletes a great opportunity this fall to have competition.”

(Marc Weeks):” We didn’t have a team last year which was unfortunate. I feel that set us back a few years, but it is great to be back out here having a Caribou team. It is going to be interesting with the COVID restrictions but at least we are playing.”

This is Alden’s 44th year coaching cross country and he is very happy that his team will be able to compete with safety protocols in place.

Alden:” Wear masks right until the race is to start. Put a mask on right after the race and they are going to want us to go an area that has been designated for each team after the race.”

I’ts going to be a compressed season for all fall sports. Golf will only have a couple of weeks of competition.

Weeks:” The States are the 10th and the qualifier for the PVC I haven’t seen the schedule yet, but it will be the 5th or 6th of October. It’s a very short season.”

All sports will compete in the County. State meets are planned for golf and Cross Country, but for soccer there will not be a post season regional playoffs.

McCue:”We said from the beginning just let us play. Get us a schedule and we will make it work. We are very excited and very pleased of everyting our Athletic Director, Superintendent and School Board have done to get us to this point.”

Everyone agrees they are just happy to be doing something and from just a couple of weeks ago where there was concern about the season to now being able to represent your High School.

Alden:” It’s going to be very much a challenge, but it is better than not having the opportunity. We have some really great kids here again this year.”

Weeks:” Most kids have been playing all summer which is good. We got a lot of new people this year and they are all glad to be doing something sports related.”

McCue:” Let them play. We want them to get out there. We know how valuable it is for education and it keeps them focused.”

The Aroostook League Athletic Directors will be meeting tomorrow to finalize the schedules for fall sports. The maximum number of soccer games this year will be ten and all teams will have a regional schedule. We will have much more on the finalized schedules later this week. The fall sport season is in place for golf, cross country and soccer and fall cheering.

The sport to be most affected by the guidelines in this area is football. Football will only be allowed to compete in inter-squad competitions of 7 v 7 Flag or touch football this fall. The MPA will continue to work with the football committee to try and provide a season in late winter or early spring.

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