With the board of education submitting a plan for State Department of Education approval for a remote-only start to the academic year, Piscataway Township Schools has made a decision to cancel the fall sports season.

TapIntoPiscatway first reported the Piscataway Board of Education’s decision to cancel the upcoming campaign. 

Piscataway Athletics Director Rob Harmer confirmed the announcement for USA TODAY NETWORK New Jersey.

Piscataway becomes the fourth district in the state and the second member of the Greater Middlesex Conference to cancel the fall sports season amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The high school’s football program, regarded among the state’s best, has compiled a 154-39 career record in 17 seasons under veteran head coach Dan Higgins, who led Piscataway to its seventh sectional title during his tenure two years ago.

Piscataway’s pipeline to the NFL includes first-round draft picks Malcolm Jenkins, Anthony Davis and Kyle Wilson, as well as alums Dwayne Gratz, Tajae Sharpe and a quintet of other former Chiefs who went on to be connected with an NFL team in training camp or with a practice squad.

The high school’s fall sports programs, as a whole, and its marching band, known as the Superchiefs, whose program has also been canceled, are also all highly regarded.

Carteret, West Windsor-Plainsboro and Teaneck are New Jersey’s other school districts that have canceled the fall sports season. 

During the public comment portion of the Piscataway Board of Education meeting on Thursday night, Piscataway Schools Superintendent Frank Ranelli said the high school’s Phase 1 return-to-play summer workouts, which commenced earlier this month, were “going great.”

“We have not entered the fall season, which does not start until Sept. 14,” Ranelli said during the meeting, referring to the official start date of fall practice, “so we’ll be making a determination about that.”

Ranelli could not be immediately reached for comment this morning.

Higgins said he awoke to the news about the cancelation of the fall season, adding that he nor any of the coaches with whom he has communicated were aware that canceling the campaign was a consideration.

“I guess it’s a trickle down from remote learning,” Higgins said. “If it’s not safe enough to bring kids together for class, if they are saying we can’t do that, how can we get groups together after school?”

Higgins called the cancelation of the season a “nightmare,” saying “my heart is breaking for these young men.”

“I just can’t imagine what the news is going to feel like for them because they want normalcy back in their lives and they are not going to get it,” Higgins said.

School districts approved for all-remote instruction will be permitted to allow their student-athletes to participate in scholastic sports, but such decisions are being left to local school boards, according to the New Jersey State Interscholastic Athletic Association.     

Gov. Phil Murphy, whose administration previously mandated that all schools provide some form of in-person instruction, announced Wednesday that districts unable to meet the health and safety standards for a safe school reopening amid the coronavirus pandemic may commence the academic year with all-remote learning, provided those districts meet certain criteria.

“Schools – including those offering only virtual instruction – will have the option of participating in interscholastic athletics, although we certainly respect the decision of any school or athlete choosing not to participate,” the NJSIAA said in a statement.

Competition for fall sports is slated to commence Sept. 28 for girls tennis, Oct. 2 for football and Oct. 1 for all other fall sports.

Citing myriad reasons, including health concerns and a potential shortage of available teachers, several school districts, including Elizabeth Public Schools, have already submitted remote-only plans for State Department of Education approval.

During his daily coronavirus press briefing on Wednesday, Murphy said “there is no one-size-fits-all plan to this difficult education situation,” adding “each (school district) faces its own unique challenges.”

The governor’s announcement came a day after leaders of the New Jersey Association of School Administrators, the New Jersey Principals and Supervisors Association and the New Jersey Education Association issued a joint statement calling upon Murphy to direct all public school districts statewide to open remotely this fall.

“Reopening schools for in-person instruction under the current conditions poses too great a risk to the health of students and schools staff,” the joint statement reads in part.

“The question of whether and when to reopen for in-person instruction is first and foremost a public health decision that cannot be left in the hands of nearly 600 individual school districts. The stakes are too high, and the consequences of a wrong decision are too grave.”

State Department of Education Commissioner Kevin Dehmer said as of Wednesday only a “select number” of school districts have submitted plans for all-remote instruction. They include Willingboro, Bayonne and Jersey City. 

That number is expected to grow exponentially.

School districts statewide have been preparing for the past six weeks to provide students with in-person, remote or hybrid instruction. Student-athletes from districts providing educational options will also be permitted to participate in fall sports should they choose a remote-only option. 

Greater Middlesex Conference President Mike Pede said he believed league members whose school districts are offering in-person and remote instruction will permit their student-athletes to participate in sports, should they exclusively choose the latter.

“From conversations with our athletic directors in the conference, my general feeling is that the districts are going to permit their student-athletes to participate in fall sports even if they choose remote or virtual learning,” said Pede, the Middlesex County Vocational and Technical Schools’ athletics director. 

“My district certainly is going to allow any student to participate, even though they are going to go fully remote.”

The NJSIAA last month permitted student-athletes and coaches to return to the field for practice in small groups, with limited contact and in accordance with safety guidelines.

The statewide athletic association postponed the start date for official practice to Sept. 14.

Email: gtufaro@gannett.com