To mask or not to mask. That is the question.

High school athletes — particularly those involved in state championship play this weekend — anxiously await the answer.

Gov. Tom Wolf issued a strict mandate Tuesday that athletes across the state must now wear masks during competitions indoor and outdoor.

Seemingly, that would include the state championship events this Friday and Saturday involving four Butler County soccer teams.

Mars girls and boys both play in PIAA Class 3A title games Friday. North Catholic's girls and Seneca Valley's boys are involved in state championship games Saturday at Hersheypark Stadium in Hershey.

“I don't have much of a comment on this right now because I'm not sure what's going on,” Seneca Valley athletic director Heather Lewis said. “We're awaiting word from the WPIAL or PIAA.

“We're counting on them to get clarification on this.”

Lewis said the Raiders will be prepared either way.

“If we get there and they tell us we can't take the field unless our team is wearing masks, our team will take the field wearing masks,” she said. “We'll do whatever we have to do.”

WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman could not be reached for comment late Wednesday afternoon. She has been quoted in other news reports as “requesting further clarification” on the matter.

Mars boys soccer coach Chris Knauff said his team will wear masks during practice Thursday.

“I don't know if we'll have to wear masks Friday or not,” Knauff said. “But we want the kids to get a feel for wearing them on the field in case we do.

“We're not going to exert ourselves (in practice Thursday). But my concern is having kids wearing masks in a game while exerting themselves.

“This is just another thing in a season like no other. It's been one thing after another, a constant mental challenge,” Knauff added.

The mask mandate will also be in effect during the upcoming winter sports season — for all sports but swimming.

“It is hard picturing it,” Slippery Rock athletic director Dan Follett admitted about athletes being masked up during competitions. “I don't know how it's gonna work.

“Sports like basketball, wrestling, running sprints or distances in indoor track, kids could lose their wind, pass out ... I question it from a health perspective.

“I mean, a two-minute period in a wrestling match, that's a sprint. Breathing can be an issue,” Follett added.

Butler girls basketball coach Mark Maier described the mask mandate as “an adjustment we're all going to have to make.

“But it's a privilege to play sports, to be a part of it. If we have to wear a mask to play and practice, that's what we'll do,” he said.

Maier acknowledged the mask mandate could change the game to a degree.

“Basketball is a lot of running and kids have to catch their breath,” he said. “This may favor teams with a deeper bench, teams in better physical condition to handle it.

“We're still three weeks away from playing. Mandates change. Orders change. But for now, we're doing this.”

Breathing issues are the biggest concern of Butler athletic director Bill Mylan.

“In any sport involving high cardio activity, this (masking) could create health problems the other way,” he said. “Bowlers can wear a mask while competing. That's not a problem. Wrestlers or basketball players? That's a whole different animal.

“We all know the answer to this question, but are they going to make the Steelers wear masks when they play? The Pitt teams? A lot of these mandates and rulings show up out of the blue. There's no rhyme nor reason to a lot of this stuff.”

Mylan is particularly concerned for schools that still have teams competing in fall sports.

“These teams have been playing all season without wearing masks,” he said. “All of a sudden, with virtually no time to adjust, they have to wear them during championship games? That's crazy.”