Fall sports postponed again

RITZVILLE – Athletic Director and WIAA Board Member Greg Whitmore announced the proposed Feb. 1 start date for fall sports will be delayed two weeks.

Whitmore said the decision came following a meeting of athletic directors from the Northeast 2B League Friday, Jan. 22.

“We had originally hoped for a Feb. 1 start date, knowing that could only happen if our East Region is in Phase II,” Whitmore said. “The latest metrics from the East Region make it fairly obvious that we have little chance of being in Phase II on Feb. 1.”

Metrics are published on the WIAA Healthy Washington Sport and Activity guidelines and Roadmap to Recovery Metrics websites.

Whitmore said directors at Friday’s meeting proposed the following schedule to district superintendents, which moves back the potential season by two weeks.

“Athletic directors will meet weekly to review the metrics that come out each Friday, and make decisions accordingly,” Whitmore said. “If we are unable to begin by March 1, we will likely have to cancel seasons. We made it a priority to protect spring sports as much as possible since they lost their entire season in 2020.”

The following NE2B League season proposal consists of:

A proposed plan with a season that begins Feb 9 for Football and Feb 15 the other fall sports.

One contingency plan if the initial plan cannot be implemented based on the limitation of Phase or weather.

Decision dates to determine if the current plan can begin or if the league must move to the contingency.

NE2B League Schedule

Cross Country, Volleybal, Football, Boys & Girls Soccer

Decision: Feb. 8

Start Date: Feb. 15

End Date: April 3

Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, Golf, Tennis

Decision: TBD

Start Date: Mar. 29

End Date: May 15

Basketball, Wrestling

Decision: TBD

Start Date: May 10

End Date: June 19

Contingency A

Cross Country, Volleybal, Football, Boys & Girls Soccer

Decision: Feb 22

Start Date: Mar. 1

End Date: April 10

Baseball, Softball, Track & Field, Golf, Tennis

Decision: TBD

Start Date: April 5

End Date: May 15

Basketball, Wrestling

Decision: TBD

Start Date: May 10

End Date: June 19