Prep Mailbag: Are NC privates really going to play this fall? Best player you ever saw?
Homar Ramirez, executive director of the N.C. Independent Schools Athletic Association, said state private schools can begin play in low-risk sports the week of Sept. 8 and moderate-risk sports the week after.
Low-risk sports are cross-country, golf and tennis. Moderate risk sports are volleyball, field hockey and soccer.
The potential start of football, a risk sport, is still being discussed, Ramirez said.
On Thursday night in Utah, the first high school football game was played in the country. Davis High School beat Herriman 24-20. In North Carolina, the N.C. High School Athletic Association, the governing body for public schools, has pushed football to February.
The NCISAA, however, is still trying to play this fall.
It has said no football games can be played before Sept. 11, but hasn’t named a date for the start of practice.
“We are still considering all of options for football,” Ramirez said. “We will continue to evaluate the landscape and have several matrixes for decision-making and obviously what is going on in college and in other states is impactful, as well as how our schools start (classes) because we’re in in-person or hybrid models. And we’ll evaluate how our low- and moderate-risk sports go, to see if we’re seeing success with those sports.”
Ramirez said with 19 schools playing 11-man football and 15 playing eight-man, the NCISAA can be flexible and move quickly with schedule changes.
“We’ve talked about pushing back potential playoffs,” he said. “We’ve talked about extending the fall season. We want to take advantage of our window if it’s open. We’re not going to be confined to the current calendar.”
Q. What’s going on with high school basketball this year? — KB
A lot is changing.
The private schools are still scheduled to start in November, but that could change as football dates change. For public schools, basketball practice begins Dec. 7 and the first games are Jan. 4. Teams can only play a 14-game schedule. That’s going to affect many of the big high school tournaments in the state, like the Hoodie’s House in Charlotte and the John Wall in Raleigh. Those are usually held right after Christmas and usually draw national fields.
Hoodies House director Jeff Hood said he’s open to still hosting his event, perhaps with regional private school teams, or possibly hosting it in January with public and private school teams. Hood said he needs to get more information relative to scheduling and rules, and he would only host an event if it’s safe to do so.
Rick Lewis of Phenom Hoop Report hosts tournaments year-round, including several high-profile events in November. He said he planned to extend his club events into the fall and would likely still host his high school events later in the year with private schools.
But, right now, everything is just fluid.
Q. With some high school football being postponed, will club sports pop up? — Jonas J.
Absolutely. I’ve spoken with several parents that are interested in organizing leagues, but with the state having a set date now, Feb. 8 for when public school starts, I think full contact club may be off the table. That was more of an option if North Carolina skipped football this school year.
But Blazing 7-on-7, which has put on organized leagues for several years, is planning a fall league that will include high school players. And club basketball and baseball and track has been going on all summer, mostly in South Carolina, where rules permit it to happen. Those will surely continue.
Q. Your thoughts on Steph Curry getting his own shoe deal. — Joseph P.
That is pretty amazing. Just like Michael Jordan got his own brand within Nike, Curry will get his own with Under Armour. Not bad for a couple of guys with Charlotte ties. Curry played at Charlotte Christian and Davidson. Jordan owns the Charlotte Hornets. An official announcement of Curry’s brand is reportedly coming next month, per Letsgowarriors.com.
Q. The lawsuits are going to be crazy if athletes or the fans get COVID at the games. No one’s looking at the big picture. It’s all “Let us play; let us play,” when everybody is trying to stay safe. There’s no way people can sit 6 feet apart at a Mallard Creek vs. Vance (game) or Hough vs. Vance or Creek — Da’Qon S.
Right now, we don’t know how many, or if any fans will be allowed to come to games. I don’t think we’ll see full stadiums in February and March, assuming high school football returns then as planned. As NCHSAA commissioner Que Tucker has said often (and she’ll be on The Observer’s “Talking Preps” streaming show Monday night at 8), the state’s plans are “fluid.”
So, at minimum, I would think fans could socially distance, and I’m sure many will choose to not attend this season.
Q. So if college football isn’t played, and seniors who were supposed to graduate get another year of eligibility, what does that do to scholarships for 2021 (high school) class? Just curious. — Cameron S.
Last March, the NCAA voted to give spring sports student-athletes an extra year. It lifted the 35-man roster cap for baseball, for example, but the scholarships remained at 11.7. The SEC reportedly wanted to increase that number to 13.7 for 2021, but other leagues did not come on board.
For football, however, it looks as though leagues plan to play either in the fall or spring. Assuming that happens, the NCAA would not have to take action. If teams do not, I’d suspect they would have to allow teams to have more players next season.
Q. Who are the most impressive players on the travel ball circuit this year. Are you surprised they are playing? — Barry R.
No I’m not surprised they are playing. Kids want to play, and some of the tournament directors, like Lewis and the Phenom Hoop folks, have done a good job of requiring masks for everyone, including for coaches on the sidelines. They have screening forms and temperature checks and require social distancing. They’ve also hired a company to spray the playing areas down with a misting disinfectant between games.
Best players so far? Let’s look at this area: Jeremy Gregory, North Mecklenburg (6-7 junior forward); Jalen Curry, Vance (6-1 sophomore guard); Aden Holloway, Covenant Day (6-foot sophomore guard); Patrick Wessler, Combine Academy (7-foot junior center); and Robert Dillingham, Combine Academy (6-2 sophomore guard).
That’s a pretty good starting five.
Q. Best football and hoops player you saw play while covering? — Burney J.
Best? That’s really hard. I saw Peyton Manning in the early ‘90s and will never forget it. I would say Peyton first and then Julius Peppers, a former star at Southern Nash High in Bailey, N.C., second.
Basketball? LeBron James. His high school team played Winston-Salem Reynolds in front of about 16,000 fans at the Greensboro Coliseum in 2003. He had 32 points. Every one was amazing.
Note: If you have questions for Langston’s mailbag, email lwertz@charlotteobserver.com or DM him on Twitter (@langstonwertzjr)
