BENSALEM, Pa. – Just when the high school football season is shaping up it the lines become blurred. The operative word is fluid. That sums it for now and moving forward.
So, what do we know? Actually, lots.
We stated earlier this month the Blue Star Media Elite 25 rankings will press ahead with the Fall Elite 25 in spite of the COVID-19 novel coronavirus treating the game like a tackling dummy. Yet this weekend in Utah, it’s “game on” because the Beehive State isn’t flinching and will kick off their season with several appetizing games. These days any games are the main course as the nation heals and heads towards normalcy.
What we’re planning is ranking teams from the ghgh states are scheduled to participate in a regular season. Each week more states will tee it up. Here’s a look at the current Fall Elite 25 lineup (start dates are subject to change):
Week 1 (starting Thursday)
Utah
Week 2 (starting weekend of Aug. 20)
Alaska, Indiana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Tennessee, Alabama and Arkansas
Week 3 (starting Aug. 27)
Idaho, Iowa, Montana, Nebraska, Texas (Classes 1A, 2A, 3A, 4A only), Wyoming, Missouri, Ohio Oklahoma and Vermont
Week 4 (starting Sept. 3)
West Virginia, Mississippi, Georgia, New Hampshire and Kansas
Week 5 (starting Sept. 8)
Kentucky and Rhode Island
Week 6 (starting Sept. 21)
New York, Texas (Class 5A and 6A on Sept. 24), Connecticut, Wisconsin and South Carolina
Week 7 (starting Sept. 30)
Arizona and New Jersey
Week 8 (starting Oct. 8)
Louisiana
OK, so that’s straightened out but we’re still waiting on Florida, which might start in December. If that’s the case, Florida would qualify for the Spring Ball Elite 15 along with 16 states, District of Columbia and conferences. Earlier this week, the Philadelphia Public League canceled all fall sports. Is that a prelude to the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association (PIAA) pushing back to the spring? Maybe. However, the rest of the state, especially the Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League (WPIAL), wants to play in the fall. The answer will likely arrive on Aug. 14 when the PIAA convenes.
When the Spring Ball Elite 15 launches in January, the participants include: California, District of Columbia, Washington Catholic Athletic Association, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Virginia, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Oregon, New Mexico, North Carolina, Nevada, Washington, Illinois and Minnesota. North Carolina announced on Aug. 12 it would play in the spring.
Maine and Pennsylvania are currently unsure for their start dates.
The Fall Elite 25 rankings and the High Five Regional rankings will be posted following the games over the Labor Day Weekend (Sept. 8). We’ll rank teams that are raring to go. At the conclusion of the fall season (in January), we’ll have the Spring Ball Elite 15 ready. We’re debating how many teams will comprise the rankings but for now it’s 15 plus regional rankings divided into East and West. When all states and conferences are done that’s when we’ll meld the two seasons into the Elite 25 final rankings.
This weekend Utah plays with defending Class 6A champions, Corner Canyon (Draper, Utah), hosting Farmington Friday. Corner Canyon plays four games before the reworked Fall Elite 25 are crafted. The state champions visit longtime powerhouse Bingham (South Jordan) on Aug. 27. Corner Canyon is a strong candidate for a spot in the national rankings. We’ll keep you posted because all eyes will be focused in Utah and how they handle things, including social distancing, face masks and fans allowed into the stadia.
Overall it’s a fluid situation with everything changing minute by minute and day by day. Blue Star Media will alert you when anything big happens in the prep football world.
Stay safe and for those in Utah, we hope to see you at a game this weekend. – Christopher Lawlor
Editor’s Note: This story was updated on Wednesday, August, 19 at 7:10 p.m.
