The long wait is over. Or is it?
High school football season is scheduled to open Friday night.
Before heading out to see your school or favorite team play, however, there are a few things you should do?
First check your schedule, including for the correct site. The closure of one and the delayed repairs at the other of District 2’s busiest stadiums have sent five teams scrambling, at least for the early part of the season. Sites and, in some cases, dates and times were changed since the schedules were first released.
Once you know where you are headed, check again.
Consult this website or your school’s sports calendar site for updates because the possibility of evening thunderstorms creates the potential for more changes or delays.
There is much less uncertainty surrounding a date circled on some calendars.
The Scranton Prep-Abington Heights golf match is set for 9 a.m. on the back nine at Glenmaura National.
Both teams won District 2 titles last season and each is ranked first in the Scranton Golf Center Super Six Power Rankings of district schools – Abington Heights among Big Schools (Class 3A) and Scranton Prep among Small Schools (Class 2A).
Their match is annually a major factor in determining a Lackawanna League Division 1 champion.
Last season, Scranton Prep won the division and Abington Heights finished second.
The Cavaliers also became the league’s first state team champion, winning the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association Class 2A title. Abington Heights wound up fifth in the state in Class 3A.
The Scranton Prep-Abington Heights match is part of a full golf schedule.
So far this season, both teams are 3-0 and they have jumped right to the top of the ratings races for top seeds in district team competition.
Lackawanna Trail (4-0 overall) is at Mid Valley (3-0) in a key Lackawanna League Division 3 match.
The only girls tennis match is in the Wyoming Valley Conference where Holy Redeemer plays at MMI Prep.
Back to the football, starting with the changes.
Tunkhannock is at Abington Heights in the school’s first night home game, being played at the high school on the new artificial turf field that was installed earlier this year. The game, which also marks the Abington Heights return to competition after sitting out last season for the pandemic, was originally scheduled for Comet Stadium on Grove Street in Clarks Summit as a Saturday afternoon game.
Nanticoke faces Scranton Prep in a game at Dunmore. The teams originally were scheduled to meet on Saturday at Scranton Memorial Stadium, which is unavailable for at least the first three weeks of the season.
While renovations occur there, West Scranton has switched its home opener to a road game at Wyoming Valley West.
Delaware Valley is playing Gateway at Bald Eagle Area in a 6 p.m. start that will open the schedule. The Warriors canceled their original opener, a trip to Florida, and were able to come up with a late replacement.
With Wilkes-Barre Memorial Stadium closed following the sale of the adjacent Meyers High School building, Wilkes-Barre Area’s opener that was originally scheduled for Friday has been moved to Saturday afternoon at Wyoming Valley West against Scranton at 2.
The Friday night openers are highlighted by Lakeland at Lake-Lehman in a rematch of the District 2 Class 3A championship game that Lakeland won along with Williamsport at Crestwood, Valley View at Dallas, Dunmore at Western Wayne, Wyoming Area at Hazleton Area and Berwick at Southern Columbia.
Carbondale also returns from a year off to host Lackawanna Trail in Jeff Arthur’s debut as head coach.
The rest of the schedule has Honesdale at Wallenpaupack, Pittston Area at North Pocono, Mid Valley at Old Forge, Susquehanna at Riverside, Hanover Area at Athens and Montrose at Wyalusing Valley.
