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Players and parents rally in front of Buffalo City Hall for HS Football season

Posted at 12:00 AM, Sep 20, 2020
and last updated 2020-09-20 00:00:49-04

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Student-athletes, their parents, and high school football fans held a rally in front of Buffalo City Hall to push for a fall season on Saturday afternoon.

The group cites a ruling in Pennsylvania that allows a school to not only play football, but also host fans in a court ruling that deemed COVID-19 restrictions unconstitutional.

"These high school kids can't go back for eligibility. They can't go back for another season," organizer John Mariacher said. "For some of these kids, it's just memories. It's of their teammates, and of their games, and of their practices."

Along with lost time with their teammates, participating in multiple sports and trying to get recruited by colleges are also hurdles that athletes have to face.

"This is the first year that college coaches are allowed to contact me," Iroquois junior Kendall Mariacher said. "There's 35 other states that those coaches can be scouting right now, and they can't be scouting me because I can't play football right now."

The NYSPHSAA plans to hold football season in the spring. Approved fall sports are allowed to play games starting Monday.