With the 2020 spring high school sports seasons cancelled, no one knew what to expect when schools came back this fall. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) Task Force has since approved modifications to allow play for the 2020 fall season. The Task Force, along with individual sports committees, put forth plans that will allow for sports to take place in a fashion that adheres to the safety precautions and modifications that have been recommended by the Energy and Environmental Affairs (EEA). The MIAA fall season officially began on September 18, 2020.
Although football, cheer, and volleyball were removed from the 2020 fall season to mid-February, cross country was one of many sports that will continue to be played this fall. Playing in the Tri-Valley League, which was split up geographically to shorten bus rides, Norwood will square off against Millis, Medfield, Westwood, Dover-Sherborn, and Ashland during the Covid-19 season.  Races will go out in waves of five runners per team with times being used to determine winners. Runners will also be required to wear masks if they are within six feet of another athlete.
Norwood boy’s cross-country coach Matt Curran believes despite all the modifications to the sport, his team is looking strong.
“Coming into the season we are looking pretty good and only lost one senior runner, Kevin Sisk, from last year’s team,” the Mustang Coach said. “We are returning a deep group of runners with no one real superstar. Any number of four or five guys could cross the line first for us on any day. We have 10 runners within 30 seconds of one another.”
Whoever happens to be the top runner of the day we have its fellow Norwood teammates right behind them filling in the gaps. Curran likes his runners to form a real pack mentality with eight or nine guys in close proximity.
“Last year, we seemed to surprise some teams with our cluster running,” Curran said. “We can easily displace their 6th and 7th runners causing all kinds of problems. Our 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10 runners are probably better than most team’s 3, 4, and 5’s.”
Seniors running for Norwood this fall will be Jake McCarthy, a first year cross country runner who has participated in both indoor and outdoor track; Preston Coyle, who according to the coach, has logged a lot of miles during the off-season and looks strong and ready; and additional upperclassmen Aiden Flaherty, Jake Ryan, and Andrew Perry. Another first-time cross-country runner will be junior Jack Doyle, who has run indoor and outdoor track the past two-season and with the movement of football this year has decided to go out for the cross-country team.
Although Sisk, the team’s number two runner last fall, vacated the team from  graduation, the Mustangs have their number one and three runners returning in the form of Dylan Hamway (1) and Dylan O’Brien (3). Hamway was also named to the TVL All-Star team last season.  During their time off, the Mustang runners were prepping for this season to happen. The term was slated to open on Saturday October 10 against Millis, and at press time it looked as though either of the Dylan’s or Coyle, all veterans, should be Norwood’s first runner across the finish line against the Mohawks.
While things look to be lining up for the Mustang runners in this unusual season, it’s not going to be easy as Dover-Sherborn is still a very strong team and Medfield is always a tough squad. Curran is optimistic, however, about his team’s chances at finishing atop the TVL.
“Having no outdoor track this past spring, the guys all decided to take advantage of their free time and get ready in case things lifted and there was a fall season,” Curran said. “The guys have really put in a lot of work to get ready despite not knowing if there would even be a season this fall.”