Some Ches-Mont teams to begin practice Monday as restart appears on

Ches-Mont League sports practices — at least for some members — will begin Monday, and official events will begin as soon as Thursday, according to an email to the West Chester Area School District community from superintendent Jim Scanlon.

The email indicates that golf matches can begin Thursday, Sept. 24th, with tennis starting on Monday, Sept. 28th and all other sports on Monday, Oct. 5th.

The message about sports was part of a larger message about a return to a “hybrid” form of in-person instruction next month.

“This return is contingent upon infection rates remaining stable,” Scanlon wrote in the email. “We are committed to following guidance from health experts and officials, and our plans must be fluid enough to change based on large surges in local infection rates. This means we may have to move back to virtual instruction at some point in the school year. We do not, however, anticipate a situation in which we would be frequently back and forth with district-wide in-person and hybrid instruction based on small fluctuations in infection rates.”

This message of course applies to the three West Chester high schools — Henderson, East and Rustin — but sources tell Pa. Prep Live that most other Ches-Mont League members will follow.

Sources say that could even include Unionville, which officially voted to cancel fall sports, and Bishop Shanahan, which is a member of the Philadelphia Archdiocese, which canceled sports for all of its members. The fate of the rest of the league should be known this week, as each district and school makes its plans clear.

Sources told Pa. Prep Live on Friday that the league was moving toward a restart, but that there would be no official league-wide decision. Most sports have been conducting work outs for weeks, but they have not officially qualified as practices.

Sources told Pa. Prep Live that football coaches are shooting for October 9 as the first official Friday night of the season. That should be enough time for four league games, followed, hopefully by the District 1 playoffs.