August may seem like the height of summer vacation season for some — especially those of a certain age group (i.e., most ages not ending in “teen”). But for thousands of high school athletes, it’s the start of the fall sports season.

In fact, mid-August is when the first regular season contests in 11-man football and girls’ volleyball may take place, under the 2019 Fall Sports Calendar issued by the CIF-Southern Section. By the end of the month, competition in girls’ tennis and golf, boys’ water polo, and boys’ and girls’ cross country will also have commenced.

Girls’ volleyball will then begin the postseason parade of competition in late October, quickly followed by the other fall sports, and 11-man football concluding the fall sports season with state championship games Dec. 13 and 14.

By that time, the 2019-2020 winter sports calendar — with boys’ and girls’ basketball, boys’ and girls’ soccer, boys’ and girls’ wrestling and girls’ water polo — will be well into the regular season, with the respective sports concluding their playoff schedules in late February and early March. 

That in turn overlaps with the 2020 spring sports calendar, featuring baseball, softball, boys’ golf, tennis and volleyball, boys’ and girls’ swimming, boys’ and girls’ track and field, and even badminton, lacrosse and gymnastics in the mix. Spring sports run from mid-February to late May and (for boys’ golf) early June.

But one season at a time, right? So let’s start with the 2019 fall sports calendar:

  • Football (11-Man): First regular season contest Aug. 16; last regular season contest Nov. 1; playoffs begin Nov. 8; CIF-SS Finals Nov. 29-30; SoCal Regionals Dec. 6-7; State Championships Dec. 13-14.
  • Girls’ volleyball: First regular season contest Aug. 17; last regular season contest Oct. 19; playoffs begin Oct. 22; CIF-SS Finals Nov. 8-9; SoCal Regionals Nov. 12-19; State Finals Nov. 22-23.
  • Girls’ golf: First regular season contest Aug. 26; last regular season contest Oct. 26; Individual Regionals Oct. 28; Team Divisional Championships Nov. 4; Individual Finals and Team Qualifier Nov. 7; CIF/SCGA Finals Nov. 14; State Finals Nov. 19.
  • Girls’ tennis: First regular season contest Aug. 26; last regular season contest Nov. 2; playoffs begin Nov. 5; CIF-SS finals Nov. 15; SoCal Team Regionals Nov. 22-23; Individual Finals Dec. 3-5.
  • Boys’ water polo: First regular season contest Aug. 26; last regular season contest Nov. 2; playoffs begin Nov. 5; CIF-SS finals Nov. 16; State Regionals Nov. 22-23.
  • Cross country: First regular season contest Aug. 29; last regular season contest Nov. 9; CIF-SS Preliminaries Nov. 15-16; CIF-SS Finals Nov. 22-23; State Finals Nov. 30.
  • Football (8-Man): First regular season contest Aug. 30; last regular season contest Nov. 2; playoffs begin Nov. 8; CIF-SS Finals Nov. 29-30.

Mike Nelson is the former editor of The Tidings (predecessor of Angelus News). 

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