Conference includes Hortonville
By Greg Seubert
An already-shortened season just got shorter for Hortonville High School’s fall sports programs.
The Fox Valley Association announced July 28 it will limit competition for the upcoming fall season to only those involving conference opponents.
Hortonville participates in the FVA with Appleton East, Appleton North, Appleton West, Fond du Lac High, Kaukauna, Kimberly, Neenah, Oshkosh North and Oshkosh West high schools.
The football team competes in a football-only conference – the Valley Football Association – with Appleton West, D.C. Everest, Marshfield, Stevens Point, Wausau East, Wausau West and Wisconsin Rapids.
Hortonville activities director Sam Engelland doesn’t believe the decision will have a major impact on his school’s fall sports of football, cross country, boys’ soccer, girls’ volleyball and girls’ golf.
“I think we’re pretty lucky being in the Fox Valley Association for all our sports except football,” he said. “We play some of the best teams in the state already in our conference schedule. I don’t think we’ll have a great impact on the level of play that we’ll see because every single FVA school is great at all their sports. I think we’ll be OK, it’s just a bummer that we’re going to have a couple less games for our kids to have an opportunity to play in.”
FVA sports considered as low-risk – cross country, girls’ golf, girls’ tennis and girls’ swimming – will begin practice Monday, Aug. 17, while the first day for high-risk sports – football, boys’ and girls’ volleyball and boys’ soccer – is slated for Monday, Sept. 7.
The earliest dates for first competitions are Thursday, Aug. 20 (girls golf); Friday, Aug. 21 (girls’ tennis); Tuesday, Aug. 25 (cross country and girls’ swimming); Tuesday, Sept. 15 (boys’ and girls’ volleyball and boys’ soccer); and Wednesday, Sept. 23 (football).
Conference meets in cross country, girls’ golf and girls’ tennis are tentatively planned, but the FVA will not hold one for girls’ swimming.
The FVA has not determined whether conference champions will be crowned in any sport.
What about football?
Hortonville’s original football schedule included nonconference games with Appleton East and West De Pere on Aug. 21 and Aug. 28, respectively, with VFA games to get underway Sept. 4.
“As it is right now, it is our understanding is that everybody’s going forward with the WIAA’s proposed delayed date of Sept. 7,” Engelland said. “We’re going to rework our schedules with them to best meet the needs of our school and try to get as many games in as possible. Could there be some problems coming up? I think there might be roadblocks for all conferences as we get further and further along.”
The Polar Bears have seven VFA games scheduled from Sept. 4 through Oct. 16.
“A plan has been talked about to keep those games, but nothing is set in stone,” Engelland said. “We’re still discussing schedules and working with officials. Currently, the talk is, ‘Let’s keep the schedule as planned.’ The Sept. 18 game will probably be a scrimmage for most teams. Hopefully, there’s a chance to move some of those front-end games that are going to get canceled or postponed to the back of the schedule.”
If that’s the case, Hortonville’s football team would open its season Sept. 25 at home against Wisconsin Rapids.
According to the FVA, football games scheduled prior to Sept. 23 may be added to the end of the season if the WIAA playoffs are reduced or eliminated.
Other sports
According to the FVA, fall sports will attempt to follow their existing conference schedules as much as possible. Sports with conference competitions prior to their earliest permissible date will have those competitions rescheduled for later in the fall.
The FVA’s cross country teams are considering a series of dual meets for prior to the conference meet, while large multi-team meets such as the girls’ volleyball Fall Classic will not be held.
Other conferences are also going with a conference-only schedule, including the Big 8 and Badger conferences in the Madison area and the Fox River Classic Conference in the Green Bay area.
“I think a lot of conferences are going to go this route because then we can make sure that we’re concise and all together with the same protocols,” Engelland said. “We can limit where we’re exposing our teams and our kids. Going with conference-only, we know where our kids are going for all our sports. We know they’re going to the same schools and playing the same kids, which I think will help in the long run.”
The FVA’s plan is subject to change based on local school district and health department guidelines. The conference will wait to make any announcements regarding spectator guidelines.
A decision regarding the FVA’s winter sports will be made at a later date.
“At this point in time, I would say I’m pretty confident that we’ll see fall sports in some capacity, but it is going to look completely different than what it has in the past,” Engelland said.
“It’s extremely difficult, not only for ADs, but for school administration,” he said. “I know it’s overwhelming for everyone – our coaches, our parents, our students – because you’re used to seeing an organized schedule sent out. Now, with everything being rescheduled and reworked, people are wondering what’s going on and it’s hard to communicate because you truly don’t know where you’re playing, what the dates are and what that will look like. It’s changing day to day, week to week.
“Everybody’s realizing that we’re in uncharted territory with a lot of this,” he added. “I know in our community, people are happy that we’re working through stuff. Things might be a little delayed with communication so we can get it right before we send it out. It’s definitely a difficult time for everyone.”