Section II's upcoming football season taking shape

PHOTOGRAPHER: Erica Miller

Billy Beach of Shenendehowa runs the ball against CBA during a game from the 2019 season at Shenendehowa's Steuerwald Stadium.

Section II football has an adjustable plan in place for the “Fall II” season that is slated to begin on March 7 and conclude on May 1.

The plan includes 10 required practices for the participating teams, a five-week regular season beginning the March 19-20 weekend and two rounds of playoff games and crossover games afterward to conclude the campaign.

“The most important thing is giving student-athletes an opportunity to play seven games,” Section II coordinator Bob Dorrance said. “Hopefully we’ll be back to normal for the 2021 fall season.”

Teams will be matched against others from like-sized schools as they would in a normal season. The Section II layout is starting with eight teams in Class AA and 12 teams apiece in Class A, B, C and D.

That layout for the “Fall II” season has Columbia moving from Class AA to Class A, and South Glens Falls moving from Class A to Class B, after approval from those two schools, and both will be playoff eligible. Rensselaer has opted out as a “Fall II” participant.

“We were able to maintain the integrity of class play,” Dorrance said. “That was important. We wanted to have that to avoid a Class A school playing a Class C school.”

While an initial season schedule is expected to be completed and voted on sometime next week, it could have to be modified because participation in the “high” risk sport of football is dependent on both county and school district approval.

Schedule adjustments could be made in-season should a team or teams be affected by COVID-19.

“It depends on the situation,” Dorrance said. “We are going to try to be flexible.”

Football was among the “high” risk sports the state health department put on hold last fall, and COVID-19 safety protocols will be in place for the upcoming football games and practices.

The current winter season runs through March 13. The spring athletic season is set to run from May 3 through June 25, except for baseball, which will start on April 28 due to teams needing 10 practices prior to playing.