The morning after the Columbus Education Association’s contract with Columbus City Schools expired, teachers throughout the district could be found picketing at schools throughout the area.
Among those picketing was Dave Lakso, who also is in his fourth season as Marion-Franklin’s football coach.
Lakso and other coaching veterans in the district are dealing with the interruption of their third consecutive fall sports season after the COVID-19 pandemic caused numerous postponements and cancellations the past two years.
All extra-curricular activities in the district during the CEA’s strike will be “rescheduled, and in some instances, canceled,” according to the district’s website.
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Teachers comprise about 60 percent of the coaching staff and extra-curricular advisers.
“As long as we strike, sports are shut down and we’re not allowed to use the facilities,” Lakso said. “It’s horrible for the kids, especially the ones that went through the COVID years. We have an eight-man staff and I’m the only teacher on it.”
Each of the City’s 15 football programs played their Week 1 games between Aug. 18-20. There were to have been seven games involving City teams Aug. 25, two Aug. 26 and two Aug. 27, but those are expected to be postponed or canceled.
Marion-Franklin was scheduled to play host to Delaware Hayes on Aug. 26, but the Pacers now are expected to play St. Charles, according to Lakso. The Cardinals were slated to face Beechcroft on Aug. 25.
In sports such as boys soccer, Whetstone played on the opening day as part of Friday Night Futbol on Aug. 12, beating Franklin Heights 6-1, and also got in one other game.
The Braves are coached by Noah Creagh, who is not a teacher in the district. However, they likely won’t be able to play their next game, which is scheduled for Aug. 23 at Hilliard Bradley.
“My understanding is that we’re not able to have practices or games at this time,” Creagh said. “Right now it’s frustrating for the team and I do feel bad for the kids, but I know that we have a lot of great leaders on this team. This group of kids has been through a lot, but I have a lot of faith in the older guys and in the spirit this team has that we’ll make it through this.”
The Ohio High School Athletic Association, according to media relations director Tim Stried, doesn’t take a stance on issues within a school district but cautioned that a prolonged strike could put the postseasons for City League fall sports programs in jeopardy.
The seeding meeting for boys and girls golf is Sept. 18, so teams in that sport likely would have to be competing by that time to enter the drawing.
The sectional drawing in girls tennis is Sept. 25 and the seeding meetings for boys and girls cross country, boys soccer, girls soccer and girls volleyball are Oct. 9.
In football, teams must play eight games to be eligible for the playoffs, regardless of if they have enough computer points, as had been the case before the pandemic.
Every team was eligible for the playoffs following a six-game regular season in 2020. City sports were shut down for a month and its programs then played three regular-season games before the OHSAA playoffs were held, followed by a league playoff.
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Last fall, the eight-game minimum requirement was suspended as games frequently were canceled or rescheduled.
According to Stried, football teams are not recommended, but are permitted, to play more than one game during a given week.
“Sometimes when school districts have a strike, they still play sports,” Stried said. “If they don’t play fall sports for a while, that’s not a big deal, but if they’ve not started playing soccer by the tournament drawing, which is Oct. 9, I can’t imagine the Central District would allow them to be (entered based on the possibility) that they might be able to play. They have to play at least eight games to qualify (for the postseason) in football.”
julrey@thisweeknews.com
@UlreyThisWeek
