SCCPSS to delay fall sports, limit games to intra-district only

SAVANNAH, Ga. (WTOC) - The Savannah-Chatham County Public School System has announced it will delay the start to fall sports and limit games to intra-district play only.

Some fall sports will begin on Sept. 1. Football has been moved back to Oct. 1.

SCCPSS leaders say there will be no band or cheerleading.

FB: 7 gm schedule
SB: 14 gm schedule
VB: 20 gm schedule

Teams will remain in current regions, w/ non-region games against other SCCPSS schools.

Region games against out-of-district opponents will be forfeits.

Teams will essentially be competing for 2-4 seeds in state playoffs.
— Jake Wallace (@WTOCJake) August 12, 2020

Savannah High head football coach Michael Moore says he isn’t surprised by the move of Chatham County Schools.

“We just gotta keep the kids safe and the coaches safe. We just gotta be flexible during this time period,” said Moore.

The district says it will give them more control on protocols and put them in better position for COVID-19 contact tracing.

“There were probably five different options that we had drawn up and looked at. We felt like this was the best one looking at safety as our main concern,” said SCCPSS Athletic Director John Sanders.

Sanders says teams will still compete in their region, though will have to forfeit games against non-district, region opponents. Sanders says the district is taking a wait and see approach with teams potentially playing in the state playoffs.

But for those non-district region opponents, they’ve been left in a bind. Benedictine tells WTOC they have reached verbal agreements with three teams to replace football games they’ve now lost.

Southeast Bulloch head football coach Barrett Davis now has to fill up to the final five weeks of the Yellow Jackets' slate

“I’ve probably gotten about a hundred text messages today, 40 emails, and been on the phone for just a couple hours- just since 3:00. Teams are trying to figure out what’s going on and what the new possibilities are,” said SE Bulloch head football coach Barrett Davis.

Moore says he feels flexibility is what's needed at a time like this. Sanders agrees, and says the district feels this is their best course of action.

“This is what we’re going with and we feel good about it, it’s giving the kids a chance to play.”

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