The playoffs are typically a time where everything ramps up a few notches. While this fall is expected to carry that same energy in high school football, volleyball, and soccer, there’s a new opponent that every team has to deal with.
The pandemic continues to be an obstacle for schools and student athletes to deal with on a daily basis. During the regular season, teams have had to learn how to adapt and be flexible. If there is a positive case, or a close contact case, on a team, then games are postponed/canceled, and the team affected resumes play when they clear the appropriate protocol. The playoffs, however, won’t allow for much flexibility.
“If a school gets shut down during our playoffs and they’re not able to play that contest, that would have to end up being a forfeit, just due to calendar restrictions,” explained South Dakota High School Activities Association executive director Dan Swartos. “It’s unfortunate, but it’s a symptom of what this year is going to be like.”
In other words, if a team isn’t able to play a post-season game, it will NOT be rescheduled like it was during the regular season. The team unable to play will forfeit, and they’ll be eliminated from playoff contention.
The individual sports such as golf, tennis, and cross-country are slightly different in that those activities consist of multiple teams competing at the same event. If a team is unable to participate at the state championship event for these sports, including the state cheer and dance championships, the event itself will likely still continue, but a few teams or athletes may be forced to withdraw in the instance of a positive or close contact scenario.
High school football, volleyball, and soccer could in theory lose a top seeded team in the playoffs this season, because of protocols restricting them from playing.
Dan Swartos mentioned on South Dakota Focus this past Thursday that Iowa had a few high school softball and baseball teams forfeit this summer in the playoffs, because of COVID.
The South Dakota high school sports championship season begins next Monday October 5th with ‘A’ girls tennis and ‘AA’ and ‘A’ boys golf.
