Printer Friendly Version - Salvati and His Team Still Hoping for a Season

Aedan McDermott and his teammates on the Guilford football squad thought they would be doing their preseason conditioning this week, but will have to wait and see what happens after the CIAC put all fall sports activities on pause until Monday, Aug. 24. File photo by Kelley Fryer/The Courier

The Guilford High School football squad was excited to begin its preseason conditioning on Aug. 17, but just a few days earlier, the Connecticut Interscholastic Athletic Conference (CIAC) ruled that all fall sports teams will be prohibited from participating in any activities until Monday, Aug. 24. The CIAC’s decision to put fall sports on pause came after a recommendation from the Connecticut Department of Health (DPH) to move both football and girls’ volleyball to next spring.

Early on last week, the CIAC football committee made a recommendation to move the 2020 football season to the spring of 2021, but the CIAC Board of Control essentially negated that recommendation by unanimously voting to continue with its plan to play fall sports as scheduled. However, when the state’s DPH made the same recommendation as the football committee, the CIAC switched up and decided to halt everything until Aug. 24 as it tries to figure out the best course of action in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. The six-game football season is still tentatively scheduled to kick off on Thursday, Sept. 24.

Guilford Head Coach Anthony Salvati was disappointed by the recent turn of events, although he understands that the CIAC’s decision was made out of an abundance of caution for student safety. One of the biggest concerns for Salvati was that the CIAC changed its mind in a short span of time.

“This is getting out of control. I understand this is the formal thing to do, but I feel bad for the kids,” said Salvati. “The CIAC said they were moving forward with plans to continue the fall season, then the DPH recommended that they move football and volleyball to the spring. It’s just not fair to the kids at this point. Everyone wants a fall season and everyone wants to play, but if that can’t happen, then just make clear-cut decision.”

While he knows that the football season could be pushed back or even canceled outright, Coach Salvati is still maintaining regular contact with his players to make sure they’re prepared in the event that Guilford does get to play.

“I try to communicate with them as much as possible, whether it’s by text or calling them,” Salvati said. “This is the longest I’ve ever been without seeing them, and it’s really tough. The way we keep everyone positive is by making sure they stay ready.”

Salvati commended his athletes for how hard they’ve been working, along with the fact that they are practicing on their own without any coaching supervision. Guilford finished with a record of 4-6 in 2019, but showed great growth throughout the season, losing three of those games by six points or less. Coach Salvati is expecting Guilford to have a strong campaign if his team is able to take the field in 2020—or even 2021.

“That’s a testament to the kind of team we have this year. They want to play more than anything, and they are being patient and working hard,” said Salvati. “They’ve got a lot of desires, and they are taking this whole thing in stride, and I feel like that’s what kept me positive.”

Senior captain quarterback Aedan McDermott is set to lead Guilford as one of the team’s senior captains. Wide receiver Ian Derda and offensive lineman Niko Tartagni are also senior captains for Guilford.

Salvati hopes that all of his athletes get an opportunity to compete at some point. Based on the way the state’s COVID numbers have stabilized, Salvati feels that the best opportunity to play football might be in the near future, instead of during the subsequent months.

“We seem to have the virus under control in Connecticut and, if it’s going to spike in the fall or winter like they’re expecting, it would almost make sense to try and get some games in now before another wave comes in,” Salvati said. “Regardless, the group that we have now is keeping my head above water. One day, you hear one thing and, the next day, it’s a totally different story. I’m going to make sure we are ready to go regardless. We don’t care who we play or where we play. I’m going to hold us all accountable, and I’m hoping that we get a season.”