SCHSL extends football, 2 other seasons for Matthew makeups

For the second consecutive year, the South Carolina High School League is extending the football season to accommodate Mother Nature.

Volleyball and girls’ tennis also will get an extra week of the regular season after officials on Wednesday pushed back those championship schedules to accommodate games lost while coastal areas evacuate ahead of Hurricane Matthew.

The football slate originally set for Friday now will be played Nov. 4, with playoffs beginning Nov. 11 and title games set for Dec. 9 and 10 in Columbia.

The rest of the regular season remains in place, at least for now.

“The immediate concern is the safety of our coaches, student athletes and their families,” SCHSL comissioner Jerome Singleton said in a statement.

“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.”

A year ago, the season also was extended a week because of extensive flooding throughout the state.

Playoffs in girls’ tennis and volleyball were pushed back to an Oct. 20 start, allowing a week to make up games postponed by the evacuations. Those state finals now will be contested on Nov. 5.

On Tuesday, SCHSL officials reset the swimming championships scheduled for this weekend to Oct. 14-15 in Columbia. Championship schedules in cross country and girls’ golf are not impacted.

SCISA currently has no plans to extend its regular season, opting instead to squeeze missed games into Monday or Tuesday slots and tweaking as needed.

Hilton Head Prep will travel to St. Andrew’s for a Monday night contest, with John Paul II playing Tuesday evening at home against Christian Academy of Myrtle Beach. Thomas Heyward and Hilton Head Christian canceled their non-region games; Beaufort Academy’s game against Andrew Jackson Academy will be determined Monday.

“With our schools, what we have found is with so many children who play all three sports seasons, (an extension) is difficult,” SCISA athletics director Mike Fanning said, noting the extra week would take football into Thanksgiving weekend.

“We have so many school basketball teams playing in Thanksgiving tournaments, or have plans to go out of town ... that’s more of a hardship than playing a Monday/Friday or Monday/Saturday scenario.”

John Paul II already has dealt with a Monday night rebooking this year, losing to Palmetto Christian after the game fell victim to Tropical Storm Hermine. With just 96 hours between kickoffs, the Golden Warriors then lost 54-0 to a well-rested Hilton Head Prep team.

▪ Shipyard Cup: The $10,000 ITF women’s tennis event was canceled Wednesday after initially expressing hope some rounds could be played to let entrants pick up world ranking points. It will not be rescheduled.

This story was originally published October 5, 2016 at 3:29 PM with the headline "SCHSL extends football, 2 other seasons for Matthew makeups."