MONTPELIER — The Vermont Principals Association hopes to have a better picture of its proposed seven-on-seven football season by the end of the week.
In a Zoom conference on Tuesday that served as the association’s annual media day, VPA associate executive director Bob Johnson said the Vermont Interscholastic Football League was meeting this week to go over proposals to be forwarded to the VPA football committee for its meeting on Thursday. If approved, schools could then begin building schedules toward a season start the weekend of Sept. 18-19.
A lot of issues remain. Vermont must maintain its low level of coronavirus infections. The state government — which has said traditional 11-man tackle football won’t be allowed this year — must approve competition between schools. And authorities have to figure out how to give linemen, who aren’t part of the seven-on-seven equation, a meaningful football experience in an anything-but-normal situation.
“There’s been some comparisons: ‘Why can they do it in New Hampshire, and we’re not doing it in Vermont, where we have the lowest rate in the country?’ ” Johnson said. “Well, it’s hard to compare one state to another because everything is so different. … What we’re trying to tell people is just understand that Vermont is doing the best that it can with the recommendations that came out.”
The Twin States’ high school football differences come from disparate restart approaches from state government. New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu is leaving it to the schools to decide what sports they’ll offer, Johnson said. Vermont has chosen a top-down approach. That’s created some consternation in the Green Mountain football community.
VPA executive director Jay Nichols said the association’s initial plan called for regular tackle football with mitigation strategies, but the state task force for reopening schools made it clear that wouldn’t happen this year.
“It’s all about the breathing, the proximity and how long you’re breathing on somebody else in those types of things,” VPA executive director Jay Nichols said. “The doctors were pretty adamant that was a no-starter.”
How seven-on-seven ultimately sets up is anyone’s guess, although one Vermont high school athletic director has offered a suggestion.
In a Tuesday morning phone interview, Quaron Pinckney — who recently left his job at Woodstock Union High School to become the AD at Burlington High — said he’s suggested to the VIFL a “bubble” format that would arrange the state’s football playing teams in six-school geographic groups to reduce transportation costs.
Hartford, Woodstock and Windsor would play with Springfield, Mill River and Otter Valley; Oxbow would join forces with St. Johnsbury, Lyndon, North Country, U-32 and Spaulding.
“For me, we were very nervous that football was not going to happen at all,” Pinckney said. “In the same token, it’s very bittersweet to see that it’s going to be seven-on-seven. My perspective, though, is that if we’re to do any sort of in-person instruction, we have an obligation as athletic directors to do our best to make athletics fit into that educational piece as well. It’s an instrumental part and a big motivator for a lot of students.”
The VPA hasn’t scheduled its football playoff format since the regular season is still a work in progress, Johnson said.
Other news from Tuesday’s cyber-conference:
■ Cross country hopes to adapt the staggered-start system employed by Nordic skiing for its meets in an effort to enforce some sort of athlete distancing. The VPA still wants to hold its state meet at Thetford Academy on Oct. 31, but Johnson said the school’s annual Woods Trail Run has been canceled.
■ Field hockey will hold state championships on Oct. 31 as well, dependent upon securing turf surfaces. The normal host, the University of Vermont, isn’t allowing outsiders to use its facilities, so schools with turf fields such as South Burlington or Burr & Burton may be asked to step in.
■ Soccer has approval to bump its finals back to Nov. 7 to get in more regular-season matches.
■ Volleyball is in a “holding pattern,” Johnson said, because of the requirement it be played outdoors this fall. Questions include the playing surface (sand? grass? turf?) and the ball, as outdoor volleyball uses a heavier ball to counteract wind.
■ The girls golf state meet is Oct. 6 at the Links at Lang Farm in Essex, while the boys will be the next day at the Country Club of Barre. In the latter case, the VPA has asked the course to permit five-player groups to keep school teams together and minimize contact.
■ The VPA bass fishing tournament will be Oct. 3 on Lake Champlain, possibly launching from St. Albans Bay, Johnson said.
Greg Fennell can be reached at gfennell@vnews.com or 603-727-3226.