The 2020 PA high school football season was one to remember, and one we won’t forget: A review through the eyes of our staff

Tagged under: News

Billy Splain | December 30, 2020

As the spring wore on, many hoped we’d see crowds like the one pictured in the coming fall season.

Yes, we’d all like to forget the 2020 season. A season that nearly didn’t happen, and for some, it never came. For those teams that didn’t make it to the field, we’ll see you in the spring! The covid-19 pandemic wiped out the spring camp season, a time when most players visit colleges and camps to hone their skills, showcase their talents in front of college coaches and most importantly, bond with their teammates.  Lockdowns were the rule. No spring practice, no gathering in groups, public and private fields were locked up and off limits.

Another casualty of the pandemic: All-Star games were cancelled, one after another. The Big 33 and East/West games, several holding on until the last minute. Two of the oldest in the nation, the Save an Eye game in Erie and the Dream Game in Scranton held on as long as they could, but the restrictions in place with gathering limits were just too much.  It seemed as though we were doomed to no fall football, or any fall sports for that matter.

But that was in the spring. Seasons change.  So do circumstances.  And as you’ll see in the review below, changes happened often and not all were welcome. I’ll review the events that unfolded to get us to Hershey and I’ll share some opinions and moments from the point of view of several of our staff members.

THE QUESTIONS:

Homer DeLattre was a KEY figure in getting the fall season going

When summer came, some restrictions were eased, but only in certain areas. The eastern, and especially the southeastern portions of Pennsylvania remained on tight restrictions as the pandemic raged on. But it did seem like the end was near. As cases dropped during the summer, teams in certain areas were able to meet up in small groups.  Not ideal, but it was something to hang on to, and on July 10 the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association released the following statement: “High School sports may begin“.

Excitement filled the air, and the Hollidaysburg Tiger program got things rolling as the first team to hold official workouts under the new covid guidelines that all schools were to prepare and submit to the government. I too was excited as I made my way to Hollidaysburg that next morning to cover the “start of summer workouts“.

It was complicated, but it was football!. One by one teams started their summer workouts, but still many questions remained.  Homer DeLattre, the Head Coach and AD for the Tigers, quickly became a central cog in the machine to restart high school football as many looked to him for guidance on their plans once they “got the green light to begin” from the PIAA. In what seemed like the first of 100s of discussions between myself and Lombardi, we tried to clear the air.

Throughout the next few weeks, new mandates, clarifications and rules were the norm.  On July 15, the PIAA  released a statement in essence saying “we are moving forward with the start of fall sports”. At that point, it looked like the August 10 start date was a go. This put a slight sigh of relief in the minds of a lot of people as the cancellations of one college league after another had nearly everyone worried the PIAA might fall in line. But there were still questions. Many of them.  Several conferences and leagues had begun to talk about delaying or cancelling their fall seasons altogether.

Protect Yourself, Protect Others, Protect the Season and then the Bomb Drop:

We should all be ever grateful for the fight put up by Bob Lombardi, Melissa Mertz and the rest of the PIAA

On July 29, PIAA Executive Director Dr. Robert Lombardi and the Board of Trustees tried to ease those thoughts by releasing a 24 page return to sports guideline. It was during that meeting I feel Dr. Lombardi made one of the most important statements of his career with the PIAA:  “But the biggest what if is this: What if we don’t try? If we don’t try to get something out of the season for students, I think we’re failing them and we need to do our darnedest to help them become successful” said Dr. Bob Lombardi about why it is so important to try to have as regular a season as possible for fall sports.

It was August 6. I remember it well. The bomb drop.  Governor Wolf, who had repeatedly ignored requests from parents, schools and the PIAA when it came to questions of whether the government would impose a lockdown and suspend sporting events, had taken a few questions after a live press conference. Then it came, the big one: “A reporter in the stands asked about sports and specifically “will parents/fans be allowed?”  Moments later my text messages blew up, my phone rang and my twitter DMS exploded.

“The recommendation from us is that we don’t do any sports until January 1″.  Wolf then walked off the podium and ended the press conference.

The BATTLES off the field before the battles on the field:

One thing I don’t want anyone to forget is the fight that the PIAA put up for all fall athletes, fans, parents and programs.  Having communicated regularly with Lombardi all summer, I knew of the lack of communication coming from the governor’s office when it came to keeping the PIAA informed and cooperating to help with a plan.  It became clear at that moment that the governors office was not in favor of sports at all, even though throughout the entire summer 100s of thousands participated in youth sports as well as events with thousands in the stands such as auto racing. No, the governor’s office wanted none of this happening.

But a door was left ajar. With no direction from the governors office, the PIAA kicked in that door and threw out a wild card. In what was probably the shortest PIAA Board meeting in history, Bill Marshall from District 6 recommended they move this season back two weeks to obtain clarification on starting fall sports safely, the motion was seconded and with that the meeting ended with the PIAA only delaying the season two weeks to allow time to clarify from Wolf’s office. Even with the lead taken by the PIAA, Leagues started postponing and cancelling their fall seasons. Philly pub, Reading, Central Bucks School District, Milton Hershey…all folded their seasons in the season of the unknown.  More would follow in the coming days as confusion reigned. Not everyone folded. WPIAL Executive Director Amy Scheuneman held a press conference to show that the WPIAL supported moving forward with sports and approved of the stance taken by the PIAA.

White flag of sorts?

With the PIAA standing tough, more conferences and leagues cancelling and the call for spring football in the air, the Governor took the stand a week later and seemed to know his hand was played poorly. “I’m sorry, that’s my recommendation. You do what you want, and school districts are going to do what they want.”  With that statement it became clear that, even though there would be a two week delay, the fall season was going to happen.  Several days later, Rachel Levine stated there would be no mandate to shut down fall sports. Throughout the next several days the PIAA reinforced their stance that the fall season will happen if they have anything to do with it. They met with the PA Athletic Oversight Committee and let them know of their intentions.

The PIAA forged forward as well. But not all were comfortable. So, the PIAA tried to ease minds once again, offering up models of when seasons can begin and how that takes place.  Immediately conferences started using the models to delay their seasons with the hopes that the Pandemic would shrink and restrictions would ease.  It seemed as though most of the state west of the Scranton/DelVal/Philly corridor was ready to play and was aligning with the August 24 fall start date, but many modified their schedules to keep distances and the amount of teams played small.

LET THEM PLAY

As all this was going on, many state senators and local representatives had joined the fight. Senator Doug Mastriano, Senator Mike Reese, Senator Martin, Senator Jake Corman and more all lined up to help the PIAA keep the ship steady.  Julie Burkurt and John Rooney had both started rallys to “Let Our Kids Play” and eventually joined forces.  A time and place was set for a rally to help the PIAA fight the governor to allow sports to happen. The rally was attended by athletes, parents and officials from all corners of the state.  

click pic for gallery

But, another concern quickly began to brew. With the restrictions that were in place set by the governor, it became apparent that there was no way to allow fans and parents into events. Let them Play quickly turned to “Let us watch”.  This was a battle that lasted all season long.  Some schools found a way around the limits by creating separate zones and some just kept it to the players and necessary personnel.  There were some that gave only home parents tickets, some that allowed both teams parents and, eventually when the state eased up a bit more, allowed many fans in.  That battle would last until 6 days before the title games, but we’ll get to that.

A FOOTBALL GAME WAS PLAYED, FINALLY

While all this was going on, a football game was played. That game was the Varischetti All-Star game held in Brockway, located in north-central PA, on August 8.  As parents watched from the hillside, the players enjoyed their last football game of their senior years. It was a surreal scene, but one that offered hope. The hope that a season could be held in the fall. It was the first model of a covid-era game. Hope. It actually began to look like we were heading towards a normal season, albeit a bit modified. Start date: August 24 with the first games scheduled for the weekend of August 11!

LET’S GOOO!

So, here we are. Just days away from what would have been week 3 had become the mop up of Week 1. With the schedule changes of most conferences, what were originally slated as games became scrimmages. Some events like our WesternPa versus the rest showcase, a six game showcase that was loaded with great teams from Pittsburgh and around the state and east coast, were cancelled.  Teams scrambled to fill open dates left by others in their conferences who had decided to sit out the season until the spring. But we were ready for some high school football!  And here is where one of my personal memories of 2020 comes to play.

It was Wednesday, August 2. Just three days before the first scrimmages. I picked a good one to attend, the Berwick/Southern Columbia scrimmage that had originally been scheduled as a game, in Berwick. (SCA dominated an injury depleted Berwick squad but I can’t help but wonder what this game would have turned out like had this been a regular season). Anyway, I’m mowing the grass that evening and I just couldn’t get rid of what I thought at the time was bad indigestion. 12 hours later I was laying on the operating table having been told I’ve been having heart attacks and former State College football player now cardiac surgeon Chris Jones was placing three stents in my heart while, unbelievably yet comfortably, we chatted about high school football! And yes, three days later I was in Berwick for that scrimmage! (Berwick is my home town, wasn’t missing that one!)

PLAY THAT STAR SPANGLED BANNER, TAKE THAT FIELD!!

And so, on Friday night, yes, September 11, PAFootballnews.com published it’s first PA high school football game story of the year. Armstrong versus Indiana. We covered a total of 31 games that weekend, not bad knowing that 1/3 of my team was home waiting, or praying, for the season to begin in their area.  At this point, we knew that Philly, the central league, EPC, Lackawanna and several others were on the fence about playing.  Eventually, many came back as they saw the model set forth on August 8 at the Varischetti game, was working! Some leagues delayed an extra week, some came back the last weekend of September and some came back in October. But the key statement here was, football was back baby!

Great as it was, it was also surreal. The silence in the stands at Hughesville stadium while they played Bloomsburg took on an eerie feel and just 2 blocks away the Lycoming County Fair was in full swing with a bleacher full of fans cheering on the performance of the scheduled air show. Some games as I mentioned allowed parents and a few fans, others saw them standing on the outside looking in. Literally.

But again, the kids were playing football.  Eventually the season began to take shape. Oh sure, there were many bumps along the way. Bumps that kept this website owner on the phone and computer day and night trying to help teams find games as others had to cancel due to covid situations at their schools. But we stayed in the trenches and took the hits. All of us. Media members that published many more stories than they were used to or had to make way too many phone calls to find a game that had an extra spot or two in their count of 250 to allow them to cover a game, athletic directors that tirelessly kept their sports rolling, coaching and training staffs that put in over twice as many hours as they’re used to because of the new protocols that needed to be followed. Parents who fought day and night to keep their young athletes going during these stressful times. Bands, cheerleaders, fans, nobody quit. It was beautiful.

And as the leaders came to the top, and the playoff races started to take shape.  There was one problem, the PIAA had to reshape the brackets due to the shortened season.  When they did, conferences adjusted. The playoffs this year were a couple brackets shorter. That meant every game counted, and for some, every game still wasn’t enough as conferences switched to power points.  In District 3, Bishop McDevitt finished the regular season undefeated. But that wasn’t enough to make the playoff format.

TEAMS GET THE GREEN LIGHT MID SEASON

Harrisburg was given the green light to play with just three weeks left until the playoffs. Their third game was at Williamsport.

While teams were calling on their algebra teachers to calculate their playoff odds, teams that didn’t have a chance to start with the rest like State College and Harrisburg, got the green light to play from their districts. This led to an unusual situation when Harrisburg needed a minimum of four games to make the district 3 playoffs with only 21 days to do so. So, they scrambled to fill those dates with teams that had covid cancellations. Ironically, it was another Mid-Penn team that helped them achieve that goal.  State College had just lost their district 6 title game with Altoona. The next morning, Matt Lintal contacted Cal Everett and the Little Lions played the Cougars that Monday because, due to covid the regular season could be extended for teams that hadn’t reached the regular 10 game limit that was set.  However, in a covid slammed season, you just had this feeling.  And it happened. Harrisburg, who was slated on the D3 bracket to face York high that Tuesday morn, was forced to forfeit due to a covid situation on their team.  This was the first of several playoff games, though not many, to cancel.

 PLAYOFFS? YOU WANNA TALK ABOUT PLAYOFFS? 

Yes, let’s talk about playoffs.  Not all conferences entered the playoffs at the same time. Usually the saying above is true. However, this year it was CRAZY! With teams allowed to play regular season games beyond the playoffs, it wasn’t necessarily true.  And, while some conference playoff began, others waited.  Remember, several leagues started later than others and they had later entry dates. So, while District 6 was in playoff mode, District 1 was still getting there.  Then you had District 11 who decided early on to sit this years version of the PIAA Playoffs out and hold their own playoffs. Allentown Central Catholic took the D11 4A title, Nazareth, North Schuylkill, Whitehall, Palisades also won titles while Williams Valley never got the chance and was named a co champion.

WE MADE IT TO HERSHEY

Governor Wolf clamped down on gatherings just days before the title games, making for small but satisfied crowds as the games that weekend were for the most part competetive

Remarkably, we made it through the the playoffs with very few cancelled games. Sure, a marque matchup like Warwick versus Governor Mifflin got wiped out, Cathedral Prep went two weeks in a row with cancellations to advance straight to Hershey (Coach Mischler didn’t like getting there that way at all and felt bad for the teams that didn’t get the chance).  Souderton fought way back and made a game of it with St. Joseph’s Prep. Governor Mifflin and Pine-Richland battled in one the the most memorable playoff games I’ve ever seen. Lampeter-Strasburg battled to the end but came up short in their semi against preseason favorite Jersey Shore, who was marching through opponents all season. Mountoursville was having a nice season until three injuries played a key role in their season ending. Other teams with memorable runs this past season were Marple-Newtown who won the Central League title, Bedford, Wilmington, Jeannette, Reynolds, Bonner & Prendie, Danville, Lakeland, Richland, Palisades, Crestwood, Beaver Falls, Sto-Rox, McDowell, Oil City, Plum, Hickory, Bishop Guilfoyle, Wyomissing, Nazareth, Mechanicsburg, NW Lehigh, Westinghouse, ELCO, Bellwood, Notre Dame GP, McDevitt Lancers, Redbank, Tussey, Brookville, Spring-Ford and many more…just too many to mention.

Steelton-Highspire had one of the most inspiring playoff runs, one that started with a nail biter against a strong Muncy team and ended with a state title.  Southern Columbia told everyone that this indeed was NOT the year you were “going to catch them”. Central Valley was on a mission and completed it with a title.  Thomas Jefferson repeated, but barely, as Jersey Shore nearly pulled off what would have been the greatest Hershey comeback ever. Pine-Richland took the 5A crown and Central York had the best year in their teams history but ran into a buzz saw Hawks team on a mission.

MILESTONES REACHED

Jim Roth became the states all time winningest coach at Hershey

Along the way we were rewarded with some great memories, some amazing achievements and some things we never thought we’d see. We saw school records broken, several team reached milestone plateaus like Pottsville, Penn Charter, Dunmore, Clairton, Huntingdon and Greensburg-Salem who all reached the 700 win apex, Greenville, Clearfield and Altoona hit 600 wins. Bellefonte, Pen Argyl, Camp Hill, Quakertown, Wilmington, North Hills, Carmichaels and Whitehall reached 500 wins. There was a whole host of teams that made it to 400, 300 and 200 program wins. Congrats to all those teams. The list can be found HERE 

Jim Roth had perhaps the biggest memory of all as, while winning his state record 11th title, that same day he passed the legendary George Curry to become the winningest coach in PA football history with 456 wins. But to me, the most amazing stat of all is that, after revamping the schedules, we managed to play 3,226 out of 3,424 regular season scheduled games. A healthy 94%.  We also made it through the playoffs with a little higher percentage. For the season as a whole, as confirmed by Lombardi, there were zero team to team transmissions.  THAT is a win and a testament to the hard work put in by everyone!

For the PAFootballNews.com team, we covered nearly 500 of those games! GREAT JOB TEAM!!!  On behalf of our team, I’d like to congratulate each and every one of you players, coaches and staff members on a season well done!

As for OUR team, here are some of THEIR memories, their favorite game covered and what stood out to them:

Willie McGonigle covers District 1:

Radnor Springfield. Back and forth game came down to Radnor blocking the potential game tying field goal in the final minute of the game. Just how happy the players and coaches were able to have a season

Tristan Klinefelter covers central PA, Mainly District 6:

The game of the year for me was Steel-High and BG. With 38 seconds left in the game, Steel-High hit a 34 yard field goal to take a 16-14 lead. BG got a chance after Haiden Garner caught the pass and ran for 45 yards down to the 19 yard line. BG attempted the 36 yard field goal to win the game but the kick was wide left and sent Steel-High to Hershey. The thing that stood out to me the most this season was even through COVID teams battled to play and were determined to have a season for the kids.

Kathy Leister is a photographer in the Philly area:

The most memorable game for me was the first game I covered; LaSalle vs Manheim Township – that LaSalle and Manheim Township actually had the opportunity to play, the realization that Isaiah Turner was no longer with the team and how both teams honored that is a testament to Pennsylvania football!

Pat Grill covers Mechanicsburg:

Game – Northern York at Mechanicsburg – Mechanicsburg’s first division title since 2008. Season – The job coaches, school administrators, the conferences and the PIAA did to overcome some crazy circumstances.

Nick Coyle is up in the Northern Tier:

Brockway winning against Cowanesque Valley on the road. Brockway quarterback Conner Ford had the game of his young career. Was really special to talk to him after, he was just taken back by the moment.

Dave Burnsworth is from Ohio and covers western PA as well as contributes to our Beyond the Keystone section:

Louisville, Miss 15 Poplarville, Miss 14 This was a state final game and Louisville elected to go for two and the win at the end of the game instead of playing for the tie and overtime

Alec Eskin, intern, covers Garnet Valley and the Philly area:

My most memorable game was the Central League championship game. This is because there was a lot riding on this game. Also, both teams put up a good fight. What stood out to me the most was everyone’s appreciation for just being able to play games and not taking anything for granted.

Matt Anastasi, intern, covers the Scranton area:

Steel High @ Old Forge The Rollers trailed with only about a 1:30 to work with. Mehki Flowers made big play after big play which resulted with Steel High from the 5 yard line with 0.9 only one play to work with. Erby’s pass was batted down and Old Forge stormed the field but there was a flag. With an untimed down and in shocking fashion with no time left, Erby found Flowers in the back of the end zone for the score and for the win.  What stuck out to me this year was the effort coaches Athlete directors and the PIAA put in to make schedules and schedules changes every week so quick it was amazing.

Avery Falisec, Intern, covers Purchase Line:

The most memorable game for me was the Purchase Line @ Penns Manor game, played during the second round of playoffs at Penns Manor. This was memorable because of how both teams gave it their all the entire way through, Penns Manor having to fight to keep their lead in the first half, and Purchase Line fighting to break it. Ultimately, Purchase Line came in with the upset, after a domination of defense in the second half.
The thing that stood out to me the most about the 2020 season was the fact that fans never ceased to support their teams. Even when there weren’t many people allowed at the field, they watched the games at home or wherever they could. It’s an amazing thing to have fans supporting you, even when you can’t see them.

Alex Bruck is our District 5 guy:

Honestly the Chestnut Ridge/Berlin game. Ridge lost that game but Berlin was neck and neck with a team that got the upper hand in years past. To be able to make it really close and kept fighting was something to see. For the 2020 season, it was about the journey and just how we made it to state championship weekend. Lot of Underdogs coming out on top and just the contributions by everyone to make sure we had a 2020 football season

Greg Recupiro covers central PA but also roams around:

Oil City 28 Upper Moreland 27 Back and forth -Oilers win a playoff game by 1 for 2nd straight week

Brian Hagberg from D9&10 Sports also contributes to our site:

W. Middlesex at Eisenhower, D10 1A semis. Defensive battle goes to OT tied at 7. Both teams score quickly and hit 2-point conversion in 1st OT. Ike scores and kicks PAT in double OT. WM answers with TD run and tries for two. Pass is incomplete, but flag for DPI. On second try, WM runs up the middle, Ike defense makes a stand and Knights go to D10 title game for 1st time in 18 years.

What stood out most was the willingness of players, coaches, ADs to do whatever was necessary to get on the field. Constantly adjusting to changing rules and schedules and taking it all in stride.

Luke Rainey, Intern, Covers Penns Manor and nearby teams:

The playoff game between the Red Dragons and Comets is the most memorable. It was one of the most stunning upsets I have seen at the high school level, and to end the Comets’ undefeated season in the second week of the playoffs is a major achievement.

I will never forget how the Heritage Conference overcame such an unusual year to only have 1 game cancellation in their 6-week season. Whether it was pure luck, strong leadership, good adherence to protocols, or a combination of the three, it’s something that cannot be overlooked when we reflect on the 2020 season.

Dan Reed covers the Schuylkill area:

The most memorable game for this year was going up to Williams Valley and watching a game of two halfs between two quality teams in Tri Valley and Williams Valley as Tri Valley held 21 to 7 halftime lead over the Vikings only to see the Vikings erase that lead quickly in the 3rd quarter and eventually win the game over the undefeated Bulldigs 35 to 28. What stood out most to me in 2020 was how teams were able to stay focused and perform all while having games, some big games postponed and or even canceled due to COVID19 restrictions and illnesses such as the North Schuylkill Spartans who twice had to be placed on 2 week restrictions yet still played great throughout it all, finishing undefeated for the time in program history and won the 2020 District XU Championship.

Theo Jones is our lead Philly reporter but also did some online coverage:

La Salle College High School vs. Delaware Valley. Wild game with lot of scoring. Came down to the final possession that featured a whole lot of acrobatic catches.

Zak Wolf, Intern, covers Wissahickon for us:

Wissahickon 34 New Hope Solebury 31 OT. The Trojans were down 10 with less than two minutes remaining before scoring a touchdown to get it down to three. They recovered the onside kick, got a field goal to send it to OT, got a stop, then kicked a game winning field goal.

Jeremiah Miller is one of our BackyardPAFootball guys from Waynesburg University:

The most memorable game was Thomas Jefferson versus Aliquippa in the WPAL 4A championship game. What stood out to me the most to me this past season was the love the fans have for high school football in this great state of Pennsylvania and the willingness to take all the precautions needed whether it be wearing a mask or socially distancing a game in order to have a fall sport season

Nate Grella, the leader of our BackyardPAFootball Guys:

Aliquippa-Belle Vernon- the energy in the stadium was electric and both teams played their hearts out. Game went back and forth but Aliquippa ended up pulling out in the end  How communities came together to try and make the season happen and have the most access to games despite the restrictions

Ron Bracken covers the Mountain League in central PA:

Best game – BEA-Tyrone which Tyrone won by going 96 yards on four plays to win, 15-12, with less than 2:00 left on a pass from Brandon Lucas to Chucky Hicks, who was all alone in the end zone when the defender fell down.

Ashley Hacker, Intern, is a photographer that covers Bethlehem Liberty and Freedom:

My most memorable game would probably have to be our first game of the season, Easton Vs. Liberty. At that point in the year it was very uncertain if we were going to have any games after that, being able to see the smiles on all the players faces again made this year worth it. The thing that stood out to me the most this season was how much the fans and parents attendance actually affected the players and how they played. When you play in an empty stadium it’s sad and quiet.

Brian “Hollywood” Ptashinski covers D11 Allentown area as well as WVC in D2:

Palisades at Northern Lehigh in 3rd week of the season as Mason Smeland rushed for almost 230 yds and 4 scores in 35-27 win. A 55yd run by Smeland sealed the deal in waning moments. Obviously the Covid-19 pandemic wreaked havoc throughout the year. But intriguing thing to me was watching teams who could play picking up games at the last minute. Bangor hosted Bethlehem Catholic on a Thursday to play a Saturday afternoon game. Hanover Area hosting a western PA team Windber, who drove nearly 4 hours for the game.

You all know Sykotyk, he’s our lead photographer for PA and Beyond the Keystone:

Pine-Richland v. Governor Mifflin, down 21-0 and 41-19, Rams come back, tie it, gives up the long drive and field goal and then quick td on a play looking destined for the sideline goes all the way. What stood out to you the most about the 2020 season?  That it happened. And fewer playoff teams made for a more exciting tournament.

Phil “Protime” Myers is everywhere:

GAME OF YEAR: PINE-RICHLAND and GOVERNOR MIFFLIN because it was a state semi-final game with huge implications that the winner had a very good shot of becoming the 5A state champ. On top of that the game was all it was billed to be. Pine-Richland twice came from 3 touchdowns back. The 2nd time gave them their first lead of the game at 48-44 with a little over 2 minutes left. High school football teams do not usually come from three scores down to win games, let alone twice in the same game.

WHAT STOOD OUT MOST: The determination and grit and dedication of players and teams from all over the state in working hard toward opening night even though at one time there appeared that there would not be a season. Yet the kids continued to work out and condition, never giving up. Same for the coaches. Although a few school districts let the kids down and cancelled or put off an abbreviated season till the spring, most districts got behind the kids a gave them the green light. That said, a huge congratulations should go out to the PIAA and Executive Director Bob Lombardi.

For me, Billy Splain, the covid season held a special surprise. Because teams were trying to get games in whenever they could, I covered at least one game every night of the week except Wednesday. This allowed me to travel and see teams I normally wouldn’t have had a chance to cover.  For that, I am grateful.

Well, that about wraps up the 2020 crazy season. Through the tragedies and the triumphs, this was a season to remember, and one we won’t forget. 

Looking forward to SPRING FOOTBALL!  We’ll have extensive coverage of those teams when they hit the field!  See you all in the NEW YEAR!

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