Overlapping Playoff Games, Busy Schedules Lead To No Fan Bus To Hershey, No Day 0 For Lady Lopes Soccer State Championship

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With two playoff games in different locations on Friday, November 19th as a key factor, the high school stopped a recent tradition of sending a fan bus to Hershey and adjusting the school schedule for a day 0 to focus on a school team competing for a state championship.

A fan bus was offered to see the Lady Lopes play for the 2A championship against Allentown Central Catholic at Hershey Park Stadium on Thursday the 18th, $25 dollar cash payment when arriving at 6 AM at the school. $8 dollar ticket fee as well. Pictured below, with only a day to sign up, under 10 students listed their names, all 9th graders, on the list outside the HS office.

Principal Dwulit e-mailed parents around noon with information as well – the body copy of the e-mail is listed below.

Hi all,

Here are a few answers and details surrounding support for our Girls Soccer Team going for PIAA State Gold! Go Lopes!

We are doing the best we can to balance all of the demands, requests and overcome bus driver shortages.

Thank you for your patience!

1. If a student has a written or emailed parent/guardian permission (email to acahill@avonworth.k12.pa.us) to attend the game tomorrow, the absence is an “Excused Absence”

2. The game will be streamed in various locations in the building tomorrow – students can sign up to watch in one of those locations if interested, or attend class/lunch as usual.

3. We have secured a FAN BUS, but need to know student interest by 1pm. Students have been emailed a sign-up link or they can stop by the HS Office to sign up.

Here are the FAN BUS details:

-Friday, 11/19 (Game is at 11am)

-Bus leaves AHS at 6am to head to Hershey Stadium

-40 students must be interested BY 1:30pm TODAY on sign-up by the HS Office

-If on a field trip, students can email or fill out the form: FAN BUS SIGN-UP

-Riders would pay $25 to board the bus

-Students have to buy a game ticket online ($8)

-9th -12th grade permitted on fan bus with 2 chaperones

-Bus will return to AHS after the game

Thank you – I am sure there will be more updates to come.

Keera Dwulit, AHS Principal

At 2:30 Thursday, Mrs. Dwulit announced that due to low interest, the student bus will be cancelled.

Students offered a variety of reasons why they couldn’t attend. Football players, cheerleading and marching band students had to be present at Avonworth in order to be eligible for their own playoff game in the evening. A number of juniors mentioned work commitments they couldn’t reschedule so quickly. Other students said they had upcoming absences already in place for the two day week upcoming and couldn’t handle missing multiple days of classes. A few 9th grade students were unsure they could cover the 25 dollars for the bus and simply didn’t sign up.

Instead, the game will be streamed in the library, with efforts to set up an additional outlet watch in the café. Teachers are able to stream the game, which starts at 11 AM (about 10 minutes into MOD E on this Day 2 schedule) and should end around 12:40, close to the start of Mod F/G.

Prior to the pandemic, the school shifted for Day 0 schedules for the Football State Championship and Boys Soccer State Championship in the late 2010’s, as the day counted as an excused absence in expectation of low student attendance.

Back to 2021 – PNC live streamed the match: https://pcntv.com/soccer/

The match started with Ava Wert scoring early on a rebound. With 10-14 mph wind gusts impacting play, the Lady Lopes maintained their lead through the 1st half and much of the 2nd half. Yet, the match ended in heartbreaking fashion, with the Vikettes repeating their earlier playoff comeback magic to score two goals in the last few minutes and win 2-1. With a number of key freshman and sophomores on the team, the silver medal and 2nd place finish is an experience many will build on and hold as a measuring stick for success in the seasons ahead.