Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. – The N.C. High School Athletic Association Board of Directors is extending the fall sports season by a week after the devastation created in the western part of our state due to Hurricane Helene.

The move is similar to one that was done after Hurricane Florence created extensive damage to many parts of Eastern North Carolina in September of 2018.

“Changes to the fall calendar are difficult as well as complex but necessary,” said NCHSAA President Dr. Stephen Gainey and NCHSAA Commissioner Que Tucker in a joint statement. “Keeping our student-athletes safe as we try to minimize risk of injury was central to any decisions made.

“We commend the work of the NCHSAA staff in its research, the Board of Directors in making time to consider these changes, and the willingness of our host partners to accommodate any changes and make their venues available.”

So, for example, instead of women’s tennis starting individual postseason play next week, they will begin the following week. Other fall sports also follow suit, including football. In many cases, schools will just have some extra time off before the postseason while others are trying to schedule additional games to keep their teams in playing shape.

The breakdown is as follows (from the NCHSAA):

Women’s Tennis

Individual

• Reporting deadline: October 14, 11:59 p.m. (revised from 3 p.m. to allow for an extra day of competition)
• Regionals: October 18-19
• State Championships: October 25-26

Dual Team

• Reporting deadline: October 17, 11:59 p.m. (revised from October 10)
• Seeding: October 18
• First Round: October 21
• Second Round: October 23
• Third Round: October 28
• Fourth Round: October 30
• Regionals: November 5
• State Championships: November 9

Volleyball

Effective immediately, the weekly limitation is modified to allow affected schools to make up multiple postponed matches, not to exceed eight in a week. No change was made to the daily limitation.

• Reporting deadline: October 19, 11:59 p.m. (revised from October 16)
• Seeding: October 20 (Sunday, after 1 p.m.)
• First Round: October 22
• Second Round: October 24
• Third Round: October 26
• Fourth Round: October 29
• Regionals: October 31
• State Championships: November 2

Cross Country

• Reporting deadline: October 22, 11:59 p.m. (revised from October 19)
• Regionals: October 26
• State Championships: November 2

Men’s Soccer

Effective immediately, the weekly limitation is modified to allow affected schools to make up multiple postponed matches, not to exceed four in a week. No change was made to the daily limitation.

• Reporting deadline: November 6, 11:59 p.m. (revised from October 31)
• Seeding: November 7
• First round: November 9
• Second Round: November 12
• Third Round: November 14
• Fourth Round: November 16
• Regionals: November 19
• State Championships: November 22-23

Women’s Golf

The minimum number of nine-hole scores required to qualify for the Regional Championships was revised from five to three.

• No calendar changes

Cheerleading

• No calendar changes

Football

Effective immediately, a minimum of three calendar days (72 hours) must occur in between contests.

• Reporting deadline: November 9, 11:59 p.m. (revised from November 1)
• Seeding: November 10 (Sunday, after 1 p.m.)
• First round: November 15
• Second round: November 22
• Third round: November 29
• Fourth round: December 6
• Regionals: December 13
• State Championships: December 20-21

The move has been met mostly with positive responses from many coaches in the WDN coverage area.

“If we’re jumping over trees, we can jump over trees,” Northside cross country coach Casey Schulte said. “Honestly, I think more time … we have a couple of kids that are fighting a little bit of injury and a little bit of sickness, so I think more time is helpful. And you know what, I really think that’s what should be done for our western athletes.

“I have a lot of good friends, Ian Roper from Swain County, who’s one of the cross country coaches up there. His athletes a week ago were helping cut down trees and participating with their community. So honestly, I think that’s nothing but fair for them.”

Washington tennis coach Beth Pippin and assistant Michele Mayo also are in favor of the idea.

“I mean, I feel like we need to do that for the western part of the state to be fair to them,” Mayo said. “So I think it will benefit us. But I hope it makes it OK for everyone in the western part of the state to catch their breath and be able to finish their seasons and do what they can so they can be there too.”

“We want them to do that for us,” Pippin said. “And so I think even though we’d like to carry our momentum into Monday, we certainly appreciate that that’s what needs to be done.

Washington soccer coach Jim Kozuch said he’s been trying to take advantage and schedule more games to keep his team in playing form.

“I understand why we’re doing it,” Kozuch said. “No, I don’t love the idea of adding games, but we’ve reached out to Southside, tried to get a game with them. I don’t think that one’s going to work out, but we’re going to reach out and we’re going to try to play somebody really good and see if we can get a tune-up in because at least as far as our team goes, we’re a momentum team and I feel like we are going to finish the season strong.”