Storm jumbles high school football schedule
By Friday afternoon a total of 17 Baton Rouge area high school football games were canceled.
The additional cancellations were Albany at Episcopal, Dutchtown at Lutcher, Kentwood at Bogalusa, Northeast at East Feliciana and Easton at St. Amant.
Some schools moved their regular-season openers from Friday to Saturday, Sunday or Monday in the aftermath of Hurricane Isaac. By Friday afternoon the total had increased to 17,
West Feliciana High was not included in either of these groups. The Saints are expected to be the only area team scheduled to play Friday night. WFHS’ hosts Tioga at 7 p.m.
When told his team was the only one set to host a Friday game, West Feliciana coach Robb Odom was surprised, but not shocked.
Odom noted that unlike most local teams, West Feliciana will have school on Friday. Odom is also understands the issues involved with trying to sandwich practices and games around a hurricane.
“We have been in this situation a couple times before and had to call off some games.” Odom said. “We got to practice Monday and Tuesday not yesterday and today (Thursday).We will adjust or schedule before game tomorrow.
“Everything in life is not always the way you want it, so you must learn to adjust and that’s what we are going to do. The kids will be excited to play.”
And play is something a large number of teams will do. Four teams who canceled their original week one games will now play each other Sunday. Zachary High will host Southern Lab at 5 p.m. Sunday and University will host East Ascension at 4 p.m.
The revamped Week 1 schedule now shows four games on Saturday, nine on Saturday and two on Monday. The Louisiana High School Athletic Association requires football teams to play games by midnight on Monday.
The most significant move made early Thursday put three games at Denham Springs High School, which has an artificial turf. A Saturday doubleheader was originally planned. By the end of the day, it turned into a Sunday doubleheader instead.
Woodlawn High will take on Lafayette High at 11 a.m. Saturday at DSHS. The game was originally scheduled to be part of a doubleheader that would also include the host Yellow Jackets and Broadmoor High at 2 p.m.
By late Thursday afternoon, the DSHS doubleheader became a Sunday affair with Broadmoor-Denham Springs at 2 p.m. and The Dunham School taking on Christian Life Academy at 7 p.m.
“We’re glad to accommodate people and have a place people can come out and use, and we’re glad these kids can have a place to begin their high school season,” Denham Springs coach Dru Nettles said.
“All these seniors have worked so hard to get ready for the season. Hopefully, this helps everyone just getting back to a routine and a sense of normalcy.”
Dunham coach Guy Mistretta said playing the game on his team’s home field located off Siegen Lane was not the best option because of potential damage to the rain-soaked natural grass surface.
In addition to DSHS, Mistretta said Cleo Fields was contacted about the use of Doug Williams Stadium at Fields’ Louisiana Leadership Institute. Though he didn’t want his team to damage its field, Mistretta was determined to play the game.
“You start preparing for this stuff in early January,” Mistretta said. “The kids are ready. You only play 10 games a year. Those years where we’ve lost 2 games because of a storm, you’re talking 20 percent of your regular season. The kids deserve the game.”
A total of four games are set for Saturday, including Lafayette against Woodlawn. Also set for 11 a.m. at Istrouma versus Central at Central Middle School.
Central Private (2-0) hosts Silliman Institute (1-1) for Mississippi Association of Independent Schools rivalry that is also a District 6-2A opener. Walker travels to Louisiana Leadership’s Doug Williams Stadium to take on St. Michael the Archangel at 2 p.m. Also, Pointe Coupee Central hosts Avoyelles at 7 p.m.
Donaldsonville has tentatively set to travel to Napoleonville to take on Assumption at 1 p.m. Saturday.
The DSHS doubleheader helps lead the Sunday schedule that also includes one of Baton Rouge’s oldest rivalries — Capitol versus McKinley at 6 p.m. at BREC’s Memorial Stadium.
Independence at Baker at 11 a.m., Ascension Episcopal vs. Catholic-Pointe Coupee at Community Park in New Roads at 2 p.m., Hanson Memorial vs. Ascension Catholic at Donaldsonville’s Boutte Stadium at 2 p.m., Livonia at Live Oak at 3 p.m., Warren Easton vs. St. Amant at The Pit-St. Amant Middle School at 3 p.m., Southern Lab at Zachary at 5 p.m. and Plaquemine at Brusly at 7 p.m. are the other Sunday games.
Two games are set for Monday: Albany at Episcopal at 11 a.m. and Glen Oaks at White Castle at 5 p.m.
Games canceled include Belaire at St. John, Catholic High at Zachary, False River Academy at Houma Christian, Northwood-Lena at Port Allen, Mandeville at Parkview Baptist, Newman at University, Pine Prairie at East Iberville, Redemptorist at Scotlandville, St. Thomas Aquinas at Hammond, Southern Lab at Ascension Christian, Springfield at Mount Hermon and Tara at East Ascension.