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The 2020 football season has been full of uncertainty and changes. Another change happened this past weekend as the District 6 committee came up with a playoff plan. 

The postseason is scheduled to kick off on the weekend of October 23-24. This cuts off the final two regular season games for teams, but allows 8 teams to be in the 2A bracket, which is where B-A will be competing. Teams will now only have a 6-game season, and some even less due to Covid-19 cancellations. With this said, teams will have to start sharpening up and getting locked into playoff mode quickly.

Teams that haven’t earned a spot in the district playoff bracket will be permitted to continue scheduling regular season games beyond October 23.

As of now Bellwood sits at 4-0 and will likely have a high seed going in the District tournament. The Blue Devils will wrap up the regular season with games against West Branch and Mount Union, beginning this week on the road against the Warriors and concluding next Friday at Memorial Stadium for Homecoming.  The Blue Devils have fallen just short of the District championship two seasons in a row, losing in the semifinal round both years. Bellwood has a strong team this year with intentions of making a deep playoff run, and making it to the District championship.

Changes or no changes,B-A coach Nick Lovrich is excited to have a chance to compete for a District crown.

“The one thing that I kept going back to about this whole season is that two months ago it did not look like we were going to even have a season,” he said. “We have played four games and are extremely happy that we have had that opportunity.  The goal that we set for ourselves at the end of last season was to win a District championship, so we are excited that we will be able to have a chance to do so.”

One casualty of the revised playoff format could end up being the annual Backyard Brawl against Tyrone, which is scheduled for November 13. If either the Devils or Eagles are still competing in the PIAA playoffs, the game will be cancelled.

“Would we have liked to have everything be the way it normally was with us playing Tyrone and playing a full 10-game schedule?  Sure, but we will try and make the most of the opportunity we have in front of us,” Coach Lovrich said.  “Playing an abbreviated schedule is so much better than not playing at all.”

It will be strange having such a shortened season, but all teams and fans can agree it’s great to have a normal playoff schedule. All state championship games will be played on November 27-28, previously scheduled for early to mid December.