Ohio High School Football Uncertainty Looming for Buckeye Recruits
With many Ohio school districts making the decision to go virtual for the fall semester, the Ohio High School Athletic Association (OHSAA) reaffirmed its stance that football this fall, for now, will move forward as planned.
In a July 31 statement, the Board of Directors “reaffirmed their position that the OHSAA fall sports season will go forward as planned."
However, some school districts are beginning to suspend activities based on recommendations from various county Board of Health Departments. In Franklin County, Worthington City Schools have suspended all extracurricular activities due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.
In a statement released by Superintendent Trent Bowers, “The Franklin County Public Health and the Columbus Health Department issued recommendations to schools that we begin the school year online and that we suspend sports and extra-curricular activities.”
Others are following suit outside of Columbus. Defending Division III football state champion Trotwood-Madison (near Dayton) has suspended all fall sports for the first quarter due to COVID-19 obstacles that lie ahead.
A couple big-name Buckeye commits did, however, start practice as planned last Saturday. Most notably is 6-foot-5 defensive end Jack Sawyer’s Pickerington North squad that began practice Monday, August 3 at 8 a.m. They are scheduled to play Massillon Jackson in Paul Brown Tiger stadium on August 30 at 12 p.m.
Marysville four-star outside linebacker Gabe Powers, who committed to Ohio State over the weekend, also started team practice for their opener August 28 against Columbus Northland.
With so much uncertainty and varying district decisions, the OHSAA made one thing clear... the majority rules when it comes to participation. In other words, some Buckeye recruits might play football this fall while others stay at home.
In response to the shutdowns by some school districts in Franklin County and across the state, director of communications for the OHSAA Tim Stried said, “We hope these schools do start playing sports sometime this fall. But if not, the OHSAA is a majority-run organization. If the majority of schools say they want to do something, we want to do something.
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