The 2020 Staples football season was far from normal, as football was the only sport that did not participate in FCIAC play. The Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) suspended any 11-on-11 competition in September, leaving Connecticut teams to find alternative solutions such as private leagues or 7-on-7 football. However through it all, the CIAC has left the door open for the 2021 spring season. 

Back in the fall, the CIAC took their recommendations from the Department of Public Health and met with its Board of Control to develop the alternative season, which would go from late-February to mid-April. This early spring season plan is for sports that were not able to complete 40% of their games during the fall season; football was the only sport that did not hit this mark.  

Since the fall, however, there has not been much noise coming from the CIAC about details involving the spring season. 

“[I] haven’t heard anything aside from the CIAC saying the plan is to have a spring season,” head coach Adam Behrens said. 

But the little information is not stopping the coaching staff from keeping their players sharp for the possibility of spring football.

“Right now our guys are completing workouts that are being sent to them as well as a daily readiness survey allowing us to provide players with the correct workouts,” Behrens said. “We will start back with virtual meetings in January.” 

While little is certain, the players have decided to keep hoping. 

“I’ve heard very little about the spring season, and with COVID on the rise it does not look certain,” captain Sam Milburg ’21 said. “Either way, we are trying to hold hope that we will have a season.” 

Milberg declared his commitment to play football at Holy Cross this fall, but with a spring season looming, he knows he needs to stay ready for the possibility of one more high school football season.

“We’ve tried to stay ready by just working out as much as we can and trying to stay in touch,” Milberg said. 

The Staples football team does have multi-sport athletes on the roster, but the CIAC’s plan for an alternative football season would not interfere with spring sports.  

“The spring season, which usually starts the first week of April, will now begin with conditioning from April 11 to April 22,” the CIAC wrote. “Contests can be played starting April 23, and the state tournament will run from June 14 to June 27.”

   2020 did not bring a lot of good to anyone, but in the new year, Staples football is looking for some good fortune.