Strath Haven quarterback Jake Plunkett looks to pass in last week’s game against Chester. (PETE BANNAN/MediaNews Group)
By Matt Smith
The Central League season is here. So is a scheduling headache.
Harriton announced Monday that it is canceling its varsity campaign, leaving its nine Central League opponents scrambling to fill holes in their schedules.
Radnor gets the first unwanted bye this week. And that is just the beginning of the mess.
The late loss of a game is an inconvenience in a 10-game regular season. Few, if any, Central League teams will be lucky enough to find an opponent searching for a game the same week they are supposed to play Harriton.
There is also the matter of District 1 playoff points. It remains unclear whether the scheduled games against Harriton will eventually count as forfeit victories, so that adds more uncertainty to an already suboptimal situation. (The District 1 seeding formula is based on average per game, not total points, so each team’s average would be over nine instead of 10 games.)
Harriton’s decision was sound, based on concerns over player safety, low participation and the sustainability of maintaining a competitive program, according to a letter sent to families. The Rams had 43 players registered on JV and varsity. The school began the season with a 53-0 loss to Pottstown before the decision to cancel.
