ASD varsity sports return this week, with tennis leading the way

Alaska Dispatch News - 9/10/2020

Sep. 10--At 2 p.m. Thursday at the Alaska Club East, the tennis teams from West and Chugiak will play the first sport hosted by the Anchorage School District in six months.

The dual meet kicks off a busy weekend of high school sports for the ASD, which hasn't seen a sports competition since March because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Fall sports are getting a late start because of Anchorage's high-risk status, which delayed ASD sports competitions by nearly a month.

Tennis begins Thursday, followed by football and flag football Friday. Cross country begins Saturday with four dual meets, all of them at Kincaid Park -- the new normal for runners, whose regular-season competition will be limited to dual meets against other Anchorage teams. All of the meets will be held at Kincaid Park.

Tennis teams are making up for lost time by playing practically nonstop for the next two weeks. There's at least one match every day for the next 15 days, not including Sundays, for a total of 28 dual meets between now and the end of the month.

Football begins with two games Friday night and two games Saturday night, and attendance will be limited. Each player will get two tickets, and spectators will be required to wear masks.

ASD athletes have been sidelined since mid-March. First came the cancellation of state basketball tournaments, followed by an extension of spring break that lasted the rest of the school year.

Last week, the school district decided competitions could begin even though the district is still in high-risk mode, meaning Anchorage's 14-day average of new COVID cases stands at 30 or more per day. On Wednesday, that average was at 40 per day.

Thursday

Tennis -- West vs. Chugiak, 2 p.m., Alaska Club East

Friday

Tennis -- South vs. Bartlett, 2 p.m., Alaska Club East

Flag football -- East at West, 3:30 p.m.

Flag football -- Chugiak at South, 3:30 p.m.

Football -- West at East, 6 p.m.

Football -- Chugiak at South, 6 p.m.

Saturday

Cross country -- Bartlett vs. Eagle River, 9 a.m., Kincaid Park

Cross country -- East vs. West, 11:30 a.m., Kincaid Park

Cross country -- South vs. Chugiak, 2 p.m., Kincaid Park

Cross country -- Dimond vs. Service, 4:30 p.m., Kincaid Park

Tennis -- Service at East, noon

Tennis -- Chugiak at Dimond, noon

Tennis -- South vs. Eagle River, noon, Begich Middle School;

Tennis -- West at Bartlett, noon

Flag football -- Bartlett at Service, 4 p.m.

Football -- Dimond at Eagle River, 5 p.m.

Football -- Bartlett at Service, 7 p.m.

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