GREENTREE — When it comes to its fight to keep the upcoming fall high school sports season alive, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association has an ally.

WPIAL Executive Director Amy Scheuneman had strong words for the Pennsylvania governor's office while siding with the PIAA during a press conference Monday morning.

The day after Gov. Tom Wolf's recent strong recommendation that high school fall sports be postponed until Jan. 1 at the earliest, the PIAA announced it would move its official starting date for fall sports practice back two weeks.

The PIAA is hopeful of meeting soon with Gov. Wolf and his staff to discuss the possibility of saving the fall sports season.

“We want our schools and athletes to know that we're fighting for them,” Scheuneman said. “We've heard a lot of individual begging and pleading. Conversations will be forthcoming.

“We fully support the PIAA's efforts in having a fall sports season.”

The Philadelphia Public League announced Monday that it is postponing all fall sports until 2021, complying with Gov. Wolf's recommendation.

“This recommendation (from Gov. Wolf) is without cause or reason,” Scheuneman said. “It's uncharacteristic, indecent and unfair. There has been no adverse outbreak from summer workouts.

“There are negative, adverse risks to these kids by not playing sports that aren't being considered here. Isolation, depression, anxiety, obesity, social experiences that come with teamwork are all being overlooked.”

Scheuneman admitted that the WPIAL has no recourse should Gov. Wolf decide to make his strong recommendation mandatory.

“I don't think there's anything we could do,” she said.

The PIAA's back-up plan is to play winter sports in January and February, fall sports in March and April, spring sports in May and June. While Philadelphia is moving all of its fall sports to 2021, Scheuneman said the WPIAL sees no reason to go to that extreme.

“We shouldn't throw a blanket over all of these sports,” she said. “If we do move fall sports to spring, tennis and golf should still play in the fall. That would reduce the glut of sports later on.”

Knoch girls tennis coach Nance Conlon watched the WPIAL press conference Monday and was happy to hear that possibility.

“All of these sports should be treated and looked at individually,” Conlon said. “They're all different. There is absolutely no reason tennis and golf shouldn't play in the fall.

“We can socially distance our entire team on a bus very easily. All of our kids wear masks to practice. Everyone serves their own set of balls ... There have been no issues. Golf is the same way.”

Butler athletic director Bill Mylan has no problem with golf and tennis taking place in the fall “as long as the other sports have their season later on.”

“Having some sports take place while canceling others wouldn't be fair,” Mylan said.

He added that sports can be played even if schools are lacking students in the classroom.

“Having 30 kids on a soccer field, eight to 10 kids on a tennis court is radically different from 1,500 people roaming the hallways,” Mylan said.

Knoch football coach Brandon Mowry said the prospect of playing football this fall “is looking tough. I know college football's situation isn't looking good.

“With Philadelphia dropping out, I doubt we'll have a state tournament if we play,” Mowry added. “It'll be like years ago, when the season ended with the district championships.

“If we play in the spring, we may be looking at wet and sloppy facilities. I guess we'll cross that bridge if we come to it. It all comes down to, the kids have been putting in the work, they deserve to have their season.”

Scheuneman said college football is radically different from high school.

“They travel hundreds of miles, go into different states where rules may not be the same,” she said. “Our high school teams travel an hour or less to get to games. Would fewer players be permitted to travel? Probably. But the situation is certainly doable.”

Should the fall sports season take place, the Pa. mandate of no more than 250 people at a gathering will apply.

“That includes players, coaches, trainers, officials ... everybody,” Scheuneman said.