Winter sports teams get the green light to start Monday
The winter sports season has arrived just in time for the new year.
With Governor Tom Wolf allowing recent COVID-related restrictions to expire on Monday, area teams can resume activities.
“It will be great to work with our players live again,” said Dean Behrens, coach of the perennial power Pennridge boys basketball team. “I really feel good for the seniors. We have six very dedicated seniors who represent our school with class. I know how much they want a season.”
The winter season has been on hold since Dec. 12, when restrictions took effect, bringing practice and scheduled games to a halt at that point.
With the season now resuming, the earliest contests may be held is Friday.
The PIAA Board of Directors will meet on Wednesday, Jan. 6, to discuss the winter sports season further. They will then determine its winter sports championship calendar.
“We will not change who we are or how we practice,” Behrens said. “Our players know the expectations of playing Pennridge basketball. We will play hard, have fun, and be great teammates.”
Pennridge is used to making deep runs into the postseason, having reached the PIAA-6A State Final in 2019.
The Rams can finally return to the hardwood.
Wolf, allowing the season to resume, said the state-wide positivity rate for the virus has reduced for the second week in a row.
There are still some things to be decided, including the state championship timeline for team wrestling.
There was a lot of uncertainty in recent weeks but a start to the season could be a good beginning for 2021.
“We zoomed three times a week, in which we conditioned the boys,” Behrens said of zoom meetings helping to keep the team together. “Our strength coach, Dan Branch, did a great job setting up our conditioning program over zoom.
“The boys did a great job following the program.”
The Souderton Area girls, a regular in the state playoffs, also stayed united despite the enforced separation.