Foothill League schools in Southern California cancel non-league football, volleyball games

The Hart School District has cancelled all non-league football games for the seven teams that make up the Foothill League. The district announced the cancellations in a letter from Hart High School to parents and athletes on Friday.

Football practices were scheduled to begin on Dec. 14 and games were scheduled to start on Jan. 8. Hart, Valencia, Canyon, Saugus, Golden Valley, West Ranch and Castaic are all impacted by the announcement. All non-league volleyball and cross country events have been cancelled as well.

Currently LA County is in the purple tier — the worst one — for COVID-19 cases. The tier system monitors every county’s COVID-19 test positivity and adjusted case rate. Here’s how the system works:

“Every county in California is assigned to a tier based on its test positivity and adjusted case rate. At a minimum, counties must remain in a tier for at least 3 weeks before moving forward. Data is reviewed weekly and tiers are updated on Tuesdays. To move forward, a county must meet the next tier’s criteria for two consecutive weeks. If a county’s metrics worsen for two consecutive weeks, it will be assigned a more restrictive tier. Public health officials are constantly monitoring data and can step in if necessary.”

Here’s a look at the tiers:

In order for league games to be played in football and volleyball in the Foothill League, LA County must be in the red tier by Jan. 11.

Here's the full letter: