Sports are back on the menu starting March 3

By Allen Hamrick

Well Clay County sports fans; it looks like sports will be back on the menu unless the salt runs out of the decision makers. Since Governor Justice announced that sports could start on March 3rd, the WVSSAC laid out the new calendar for the 2021 season, at least what’s left of it.  Wrestling teams and basketball teams can begin practicing mid February on the 15th.   Teams still have to get in 14 practice days before they can play, so, as of this writing, this means that gyms will once again be packed every day cramming in practice time.  If they put the practice time in, on March the 3rd the girls’ basketball team can start playing and the boys can start on the 5^th, along with wrestling.  The championship dates will also be moved up with wrestling state championship being April 21-22 and girls’ basketball on April 23-24. Boys basketball championship will be played on May 4-8.

Practice for the track, baseball, and track can start on March 15 and matches can start on April 12.  Track, softball, and baseball championships will all be held in June.  Baseball on June 24-26, softball on June 22-23 and track on June 11th for class AA.  The cheerleading competition is rescheduled to be held on March 20th.  All this information hinges on how politics and decision makers run the hurdles.

Now, Clay county coaches and the athletic directors will have to start scrambling to get the new schedules up and running once again and hope that there will be no more changes.  Coaches also have to get their athletes motivated to play and after this long layoff; it may be feast or famine.  Once again, sports are getting watered and fertilized and hopefully for the kids, the parents, coaches, teachers, and our sanity, it doesn’t get hit again with Covid-19 frost.  It is time to get back to what we know and put all the hype behind us. Let’s get back into schools and on the mats and courts. Of course, do what we have to do to keep from getting sick, but let’s get the ball rolling in 2021; enough is enough. It is time.  Go Panthers! Go Mustangs!