SCHSL extends football season because of Hurricane Matthew
For the second straight season, weather has forced the South Carolina High School League to extend the football season by a week.
Because of the threat of Hurricane Matthew, the SCHSL announced Wednesday that all games postponed this week can be made up the week of Oct. 31-Nov. 4. The playoffs will begin Nov. 11 with the state championship games set for Dec. 9-10.
The championship games will be held on the same weekend as the North-South All-Star football game in Myrtle Beach.
“The immediate concern is the safety of our coaches, student athletes and their families. Our primary sense of urgency is for them to be able to focus on their personal well-being and decision making for the next few days while bracing for the predicted weather conditions,” SCHSL commissioner Jerome Singleton said in a release.
“After meeting with staff this morning, we have determined the above schedule changes are in the best interest of the statewide athletic programs and the safety and well being of students, fans and staff.“
Last year, the season was extended a week because of the flooding throughout the state.
Some Midlands games will go on as scheduled for Thursday: Mid-Carolina at Clinton, North Central at Cheraw and Newberry at Broome.
Batesburg-Leesville coach Perry Woolbright said his team and the rest of Region 5-2A planned to play this week’s games on Monday and then next week’s game Saturday but has since scrapped the idea.
There has been no word yet if South Carolina Independent Schools will follow the SCHSL’s pattern. If not, Heathwood at Cardinal Newman and Orangeburg Prep at Ben Lippen will be played on Monday. No makeup date has been set for Hammond at Porter-Gaud.
The SCHSL girls tennis and volleyball playoffs also will have some changes. Teams will have until Oct. 18 to finish the tennis and volleyball regular seasons with the playoffs beginning Oct. 20. The state championships still will be held Nov. 5.
On Tuesday, the SCHSL announced the state swimming championships will be pushed back to next week. The 5A championships will be Oct. 14 and the 3-4A meet will be Oct 15. Both will be held at South Carolina.
Football schedule
Thursday
Curtis Baptist at Richard Winn, 6:30 p.m.
North Central at Cheraw, 7 p.m.
Newberry at Broome, 7:30 p.m.
Mid-Carolina at Clinton, 7:30 p.m.
Monday
Orangeburg Prep at Ben Lippen, 6:30 p.m.
Heathwood Hall at Cardinal Newman, 6:30 p.m.
Batesburg-Leesville at Barnwell, 7 p.m.
This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 12:44 PM with the headline "SCHSL extends football season because of Hurricane Matthew."