High school sports still aiming for ­competition resumption in January

Not much has changed in the past two months since the California Interscholastic Federation and North Coast Section published a revised schedule for 2020-21 high school sports in the state and section. Schools, coaches, athletes and parents are all hopeful that conditions will allow that timetable to be enacted and the games can begin.

The schedule calls for practice to begin in December for football, cross country, volleyball and water polo, which begins a condensed competition schedule from January through June 2021 in the midst of the continuing coronavirus pandemic.

This schedule is predicated on state and local government and health officials allowing competition to take place on the new timetable. No one can state with any certainty what the situation will look like as the Dec. 14 start date for practices approaches.

NCS commissioner Pat Cruickshank explains that, “until Dec. 14, the months can be used as we currently use summer months. Of course, they have to adhere to health guidelines from state and county.”

Limited or no audiences

What does seem likely now is that until much more progress is made in the “reopening” protocols around the state related to public assemblies in this time of social distancing, it would appear games, matches and meets will be held with limited or no audiences.

The East Bay Athletic League has released its schedules for every sport while the Diablo Athletic League is still to publish schedules for the 11 sports being contested in the spring phase of the schedule.

Those sports will start practice beginning Mar. 8 for all sports except soccer, which begins Feb. 22. NCS, Northern California and CIF State championships will be held in May and June.

State competitions for track and field, baseball and softball end June 26. Even more jarring, the final weekend for high school basketball in California is June 18-19. In previous years, top graduating high school senior basketball players have already gone off to their college destination by then.

Dates for high school sports in 2020-21 school year for Diablo Athletic & East Bay Athletic leagues:

“FALL” SCHEDULE

Football

1st day of practice Dec. 14 all fall sports
Non-league Games Jan. 8 – Feb. 13
DAL League Games Feb. 19 – Mar. 19 (Fridays)
EBAL League Games Feb. 20 – Mar. 20 (Saturdays)
NCS Playoffs Mar. 26-Apr. 10
Regional/State Championships Apr. 16/17

Cross Country (Boys & Girls)

Dual & Invitational Meets January – February
DAL Championship Meet Mar. 6 (Hidden Valley Park, Martinez)
EBAL Championship Meet Mar. 13 (Newhall Park, Concord)
NCS Championship Meet Mar. 20 (Hayward High School)
CIF State Championship Meet Mar. 27 (Woodward Park, Fresno)

Volleyball (Boys & Girls)

Non-league Games & Tournaments January-February
DAL League Games Jan. 12 – Feb. 25
EBAL League Games Jan. 26 – Feb. 25
NCS Playoffs Mar. 2-13
NorCal Championships Mar. 20

Water Polo (Boys & Girls)

Non-league Games & Tournaments January-February
DAL League Games Jan. 20 – Feb. 24
EBAL League Games Jan. 26 – Feb. 25
NCS Playoffs Mar. 3-13
NorCal Championships Mar. 16-20

“SPRING” SCHEDULE

Soccer

1st day of practice Feb. 22
Non-league Games & Tournaments February – May
DAL League Games Mar. 23 – May 13
EBAL League Games Mar. 10 – May 12
NCS Playoffs May 18-29
NorCal Championships June 1-5

Swimming & Diving (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Meets & Invitationals March – May
DAL League Dual Meets Apr. 5 – May 10
EBAL League Dual Meets Apr. 19 – May 17
DAL League Championship Meet TBA
EBAL League Championship Meet May 20-22 (Campolindo High, Moraga)
NCS Championship Meet May 27-29 (Concord Community Pool)
State Championship Meet June 3-5 (Clovis Olympic Swim Complex)

Tennis (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Matches & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Matches TBA
EBAL League Matches Mar. 16 – May 11
DAL Tournament TBA
EBAL Tournament May 13-17 (Crow Canyon Country Club, Danville)
NCS Team Championships May 18-29
NorCal Team Championships June 1-5
NCS Singles/Doubles Championships TBA

Wrestling (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Matches & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Matches TBA
EBAL League Matches Apr. 22 – May 12
DAL League Championship Meet TBA
EBAL League Championship Meet May 19
NCS Dual Meet Team Championships May 22
NCS Meet June 4-5
State Meet June 10-12 (Mechanics Bank Arena, Bakersfield)

Baseball

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Games & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Games TBA
EBAL League Games Apr. 30 – June 2
NCS Playoffs June 8-19
NorCal Championships June 22-26

Basketball (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Games & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Games TBA
EBAL League Games Apr. 27 – May 27
NCS Playoffs June 1-12
CIF NorCal/State Championships June 15-19

Competitive Cheer (Stunt)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
DAL League Games TBA
EBAL League Games Apr. 14 – May 26
NCS Championships June 5
CIF/USA Cheer Invitational June 12

Golf (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Matches & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Matches TBA
EBAL League Matches Mar. 22 – May 20
DAL League Championship TBA
EBAL League Championship May 18
NCS Division II Championship May 31
NCS Division I Championship June 7
NorCal/CIF State Championship June 23

Lacrosse (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Games & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Games TBA
EBAL League Games Apr. 27 – May 27
NCS Playoffs June 1-10

Softball

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Games & Tournaments March – May
DAL League Games TBA
EBAL League Games Apr. 29 – June 1
NCS Playoffs June 8-19
NorCal Championships June 22-26

Track & Field (Boys & Girls)

1st day of practice Mar. 8
Non-league Meets & Invitationals March – May
DAL League Meets TBA
EBAL League Dual Meets None scheduled
DAL League Championship Meet
EBAL League Championship Meet May 29-June 5 (Dublin High School)
NCS Tri-Valley Area Meet June 12
NCS Meet of Champions June 18-19
CIF State Meet June 25-26 (Veterans Memorial Stadium, Clovis)