Ohio athletes continue prep while awaiting final go-ahead from state

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Ohio — Ohio athletes want a season, but there are many questions that still remain unanswered for those who participate in contact sports.

Practices across the state may be underway, but as far as when competitive play can begin and how it will look, that’s still up in the air

"If the season were to be cut short, it would be heartbreaking,” said Steubenville football player Cade Kernahan.

Many athletes and coaches say they are ready, but the governor and his team are not. This week Lt. Gov. John Husted said he is still working with Ohio High School Athletic Association to finalize plans for the fall, although some schools across the state have taken matters into their own hands and suspended the season before it even got underway.

Chuck Kokiko, superintendent of the Jefferson County Educational Service Center, said that is a move they do not want to make.

"That would be handled at the local level by each board of education,” he advised. “It definitely would not be a popular decision to cancel sports, but if it came down to the safety of kids its one our districts would be willing to make.”

Kokiko said a number of kids testing positive on a team or issues scheduling if opponents drop out are two factors that could lead to a cancelation.

As for testing, a temporary order for contact sports outlined in July and extended last weekend, said that participants had to test three days before an event and that test would have to be negative.

"That order is still in place because it hasn’t been updated or removed,” Kokiko said.

However, Husted said the renewal of the order doesn’t represent a plan for the fall. Kokiko said that testing all athletes would be a burden to the health department and a challenge in terms of time and money.

We also asked how social distancing would be handled for sports that require close contact by nature

"So, there are recommendations,” he said. “If we are looking at the fall - soccer or football - in the playing field there would not be masks or things of that nature, but the recommendations are for kids when they are on the sidelines to wear masks and sanitize.”

Now, as athletes across the state wait for official word on how this season will look, local leaders and athletes do have a message to share.

"We hope that everyone would follow the guidelines put out by the state so we can have a season,” Kernahan said.