The return to action of Carbondale’s entire fall athletic program and bulk of the Abington Heights and Forest City fall sports teams has led to some divisional realignment and schedule format changes as the Lackawanna Interscholastic Athletic Association plans for full participation in the upcoming season.
With higher local case counts for COVID-19, the 2020 fall sports season took place with many alterations. Carbondale did not participate while Abington Heights and Forest City were involved on a limited basis with only some teams. Other teams were forced to pause at times and competition underwent other pandemic-related adjustments.
The possibility of individuals or teams having to take a break remains, but with fewer incidents locally in recent months, plans are for full seasons in each sport with fewer adjustments in the way contests are conducted than a year ago at this time.
The LIAA oversees all Lackawanna League sports.
Golf, one of only two sports in which Abington Heights participated as a league member in 2020, will be the first Lackawanna sport to get underway with opening day set for Aug. 24.
Last season’s four-division format will remain with the only changes being Carbondale joining Division 3 and Forest City joining Division 4.
Carbondale will play in the same division that Lackawanna Trail won a year ago. The Chargers increase membership in the division to six teams.
Abington Heights, which finished second to Scranton Prep in the division last season, and Lackawanna Trail are each part of divisions where teams play each other home-and-home for a 10-match schedule.
Wallenpaupack is at Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail is at Old Forge Aug. 24, one day after boys teams open with the Simons Tournament, formerly known as the Jackman Tournament, at Elkview Country Club.
Girls tennis, which opens Aug. 26, remains the same with 15 teams all competing in one group and playing everyone else for a 14-match schedule.
Similar to boys golf, Abington Heights finished second behind Scranton Prep last season. The Comets will open at home against Delaware Valley.
Football is next with opening night Aug. 27.
The Lackawanna Football Conference’s four-division format remains with Abington Heights and Carbondale returning to Divisions 1 and 3.
Abington Heights opens at home against Tunkhannock and Lackawanna Trail is at Carbondale.
Lackawanna Trail plays within Division 4 for the first time when it travels to Susquehanna Sept. 18. Abington Heights plays in its Division 1 opener at home Sept. 25 against defending champion Delaware Valley.
Girls volleyball begins play Sept. 3.
The return of Forest City and Abington Heights moves the league back from nine teams playing together to 11 teams split into two divisions.
Abington Heights and Lackawanna Trail are among the five Division 1 teams playing each other twice and playing the six Susquehanna County schools that make up Division 2 once each for a 14-match schedule.
The season opens with Abington Heights at Lackawanna Trail.
In girls soccer, Abington Heights rejoins Division 1 increasing it from seven to eight teams while Carbondale and Forest City rejoin Division 3, which goes from just three teams a year ago back to five teams.
The lower divisions open Sept. 7, but Division 1 games, including Abington Heights at Honesdale in the opener, do not begin until Sept. 9.
Division 1 has a 14-match schedule made up of home-and-home meetings within the division.
Boys soccer, along with boys and girls cross country, are the last to get Lackawanna play started on Sept. 8.
In boys soccer, three teams return – one in each division – to increase membership to eight teams each in Divisions 1 and 3 and two teams in Division 2.
Schedules are contained to division home-and-homes with 12 games in Division 2 and 14 games in the other two divisions.
Abington Heights is back in Division 1, Forest City Division 2 and Carbondale Division 3.
The Comets open at home against Honesdale.
Cross country went through the most significant changes last season, going from its cluster scheduling format with every team facing everyone else to dual meets and divisions.
The league is returning to its previous approach and has back one of its strongest programs in Abington Heights, which ran last year, but was not allowed to compete for the championship because it chose to only use staggered-start meets rather than runners starting together and racing.
The league is split into eight clusters of three teams each that run together every week, but are only scored against each other once during the season.
Abington Heights will go back to its old cluster of running with North Pocono and Valley View on a weekly basis. Lackawanna Trail will run with Lakeland and Western Wayne.
The Comets will run their opener at Valley View against Blue Ridge, Elk Lake and Montrose.
Lackawanna Trail will be at Western Wayne against Scranton Prep, Holy Cross and Carbondale.
