Published April 9, 2020
By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI
NORTH READING — Last week the MIAA (Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association) had a meeting to decide what to do about the spring sports season due to the COVID-19 crisis. Going into that meeting they decided that, if the season started on April 27, there would be a shortened season with playoffs that would end by June 20.
When Governor Baker continued the shutdown to May 4, it looked like there would just be a regular season with no playoffs.
At the meeting, the MIAA decided that if teams started practice on May 4, they could start the season on May 9 in most sports. Teams would play between an 8-12 game regular season and the playoffs would take place with the final date moved back to June 27.
This means a team with only eight games could qualify for the states with a 4-4 record. The postseason would only go to the sectional level so there would be only sectional champions.
The athletic directors will have to make a new schedule with only league games.
The regular season for baseball, lacrosse, rugby, softball, tennis and volleyball would end on June 12 and the tournament would start on June 15.
For track and field, June 21 is the cutoff date with the sectional meets scheduled for June 27 and June 28.
North Reading High girls’ lacrosse coach Matt Costello was pleased with the idea.
“I love it,” he stated. “This is the best-case scenario for the kids to accommodate them.”
Costello feels that his team should play each Cape Ann League team once to fill out the schedule.
He also knows that, if they do start, it will be a little tougher because of the layoff and that they will probably have just five days before they open their season.
“All of the teams will be in that same situation,” pointed out Costello.
North Reading High assistant softball coach Paul Greene is also on board with the MIAA’s vote.
“I would like to see it happen,” he said. “At this point I would be happy for them just to get to play. If they have a playoff it would be a good test for us.”
The Hornets play in the CAL Kinney Division which features the larger schools. Given his preference to play the Kinney Division teams twice or all of the CAL teams, including the CAL Baker division with the smaller schools, Greene would like to play each team once which would be 11 games overall.
In September, the CAL will change as Masconomet will be heading to the Northeastern Conference.