Carlmont Coach, Half Moon Bay administrator trying to prolong the season

Lilygren is “simply” trying to produce a Peninsula Athletic League championship meet. He said if the decision to get those spring sport athletes whose seasons were canceled last year amid the pandemic, he doesn’t see why track and field should be left out.

“I’m just trying to do something for the PAL. I’m not even worried about CCS,” Lilygren said. “They talk about kids missing the playoffs last year. That’s our point. These are kids who missed last year. We’re trying to the same for track and field (as they’re doing for baseball and softball).”

Roth, on the other hand, is very much worried about CCS — specifically for his basketball and soccer teams, which the PAL has voted not to send to the various CCS tournaments.

“We’ve been trying to really hard to find a way into CCS play,” Roth said. “When the PAL opted out (for those winter sports), it pretty much closed the door.”

Like the work ethic they try to instill in their athletes, Liygren and Roth putting in the work to get their sports recognized.

Lilygren’s quest may be more attainable. While a PAL championship meet was never officially taken off the table, the thought was, as sports began emerging from the depths of the pandemic, there would be no way to have a postseason.

But as conditions have improved, Lilygren is hoping to convince the PAL Board of Managers that hosting an event can be doable.

Much of the pushback from administrators right now is the sheer amount of activity and events occurring in the final weeks of the 2020-21 academic year — for both school and athletics.

Lilygren said the graduation season begins the week after the regular-season dual meet final May 19. The ceremonies for Sequoia district schools, of which Carlmont is a part, are in the first few days of June. That’s why he’s set a tentative date of June 5 for a PAL championship.

There are still logistics to figure out. Lilygren is planning on splitting the track and field events between two different sites. He also needs to formulate a COVID-19 mitigation plan to present to the decision makers and then needs approval from the appropriate officials to get the go-ahead.

He does all this knowing there is no guarantee that he will get that much-needed approval.

“I’m still forging ahead, realizing [the whole] plan may still be shot down in the end,”Lilygren said. “All of the coaches (in the PAL) are for it. Can we convince the higher-ups that it’s worthwhile for the kids?”

Roth is taking the same approach on the coast. He will fight for his teams until there is no battle left to fight — knowing the odds are stacked against him.

“Our general attitude for athletics is to get these kids together safely and let them play as much as possible,” Roth said. “I’ve been in contact with the CCS commissioner, PAL commissioner, (asking them) what are some ways we cannot upset the status quo … but work to find a way to let our kids what they love to do.

“But it’s tough. Many schools are moving on to their next problem. Each school has 20, 30 issues to work on.”

Like Capuchino girls’ basketball head coach Steve Hoff, Roth would like to see the individual schools make the decision on whether to participate in the CCS playoffs.

But like Lilygren, Roth realizes he’s fighting an uphill battle.

“This argument … it’s like a presidential election. We voice our opinions … but the will of the people does take the day,” Roth said. “This is a community, as far as the PAL. … At the end of the day, we do have to respect (the league’s decision). In conversations (with PAL and CCS officials), we’re not really seeing a light.”