Foul air leaves no easy choices
Some games canceled or postponed already, more decisions today
Unhealthy air from the North Bay wildfires sent high school administrators throughout the Bay Area scrambling Thursday, canceling and postponing athletic contests this weekend and going to unprecedentedmeasures to reschedule football games.
In East Contra Costa County, Antioch moved its home football game against Freedom from Friday night to Saturday afternoon. In Alameda County, the Oakland Athletic League canceled its three football games Friday, including a crucial one betweenMcClymonds and Fremont, and planned to meet Thursday night about possible makeup dates.
In the Central Coast Section, the governing body for high school sports from San Francisco to King City, the executive board held an emergency conference call Thursday afternoon and voted to move the section football playoffs back a week, clearing a path for games canceled this weekend to be played Nov. 9-11.
The CCS could make such a dramatic move because there was a bye week between its section championships and the Northern California playoffs in the original schedule. The CCS playoffs will now start Nov. 17-18 and end Dec. 1-2.
“After hearing the different leagues and the tussles they were having, this seemed to be the best of all worlds here, and we have the availability to do it,” CCS commissioner DuaneMorgan said. “It was a good decision.”
Before the meeting, two of the CCS’s biggest leagues — the 24- school Blossom Valley Athletic League and the 18- school Peninsula Athletic League — announced that their football games this weekend would not be played.
“I am in my 11th year as commissioner,” BVAL commissioner Colette Kirk said. “I have never had to make a decision like this. However, it was a much easier decision I am sure than the people up in the counties of Sonoma and Napa that are having to make when they have no homes.”
The BVAL had no plans to make up the canceled football
games. But given the vote late Thursday, it is now expected to reverse course, most likely playing football games scheduled for this weekend on Nov. 9, the day before Veteran’s Day.
The PAL also is expected to play games Nov. 9.
“I just don’t think you throw kids out there in thisweather,” PAL commissioner Terry Stogner said. “At the same time, I don’t think you play two football games in a week.”
The West Catholic Athletic League will move its football games this weekend to Nov. 10-11. The games scheduled for Friday, including Serra at St. Francis, will be played Friday, Nov. 10.
“Our hearts go out to all those that have been af- fected,” WCAL commissioner Jolene Fugate said. “But as far as this, it’s been a long day, but it’s been a nice day to watch administrations at all the schools come together for the best of the kids. A good day to be part of a league like ours that, when it comes to crisis, we band together to do what’s best for everyone involved.”
Oakland Athletic League commissioner Alphonso Powell is hoping that his league’s football games are merely postponed, not canceled.
“We’ll see if the principals will be alright with makeup games,” Powell said.
Losing the FremontMcClymonds game would be a major blow for the OAL. Both teams are 6- 0 and should attract a large crowd.
De La Salle’s game at Foothill on Friday should be a go if the air quality continues to improve as it was Thursday afternoon. Foothill coach Matt Sweeney said the school district will make the ultimate decision on whether to play, adding “my gut-feeling is that it will be a go.”
In addition to the Antioch game, another game in the powerhouse Bay Valley Athletic League was postponed, Deer Valley at Pittsburg. The game is expected to be played Saturday or Monday.
Three footballmatchups in the Tri- County Athletic League scheduled for Friday were postponed: Salesian at St. Patrick- St. Vincent, St. Mary’s-Albany at El Cerrito and Hercules at Kennedy-Richmond.
Hayward’s game Friday against Encinal has been moved to Monday at 6:30 p.m. Berkeley’s game at Piedmont on Friday has been postponed, with a possible makeup game Monday.
The Berean Christian at Alhambra game will not be played Friday, and no makeup date was announced. Alhambra athletic director Pat Ertola said homecoming activities scheduled Friday would be pushed back to the regularseason finale against College Park.
In the Santa Clara Valley Athletic League, Wilcox will have to wait until Veteran’s Day weekend to avenge last year’s shocking 25-21 loss to Palo Alto. Los Altos’ homecoming game Friday at Foothill College is also postponed.
Palo Alto practiced indoors Wednesday and Thursday, hoping for the chance to play this week.
“It was upsetting to inform the kids that we don’t get to play tomorrow night,” coach Danny Sullivan said. “In terms of our opponent, Wilcox, I’m sure they were chomping at the bit to get back at us. But in talkingwith (Wilcox coach) Paul Rosa, we didn’t want to have to move it, but we understand that there are more important things out there.”
Other school districts in the East Bay were planning to make decisions later Thursday or Friday. California coach Eric Billeci said he expected to know by Thursday night if the San Ramon Valley Unified School District would play Friday night. The Acalanes district — Acalanes, Campolindo, Las Lomas, Miramonte — will decide Friday, Acalanes coach Floyd Burnsed said.
Athlet ic contes t s throughout the North Bay were canceled earlier in the week. Many of those schools, including the ones in Santa Rosa, are in the North Coast Section.