Major shifts in elementary basketball schedules

Last week’s snow days have led to major shakeups in the 7-8 grade county league schedule. Teams have been sent into scramble mode to make up games originally scheduled for Jan. 4 and 6, leaving league officials little choice but to back up the start of the postseason.

Todd Willmore has informed schools that games can now be played in the first week of February, with hopes the postseason tournament can start by Saturday, Feb. 5.

“Our plans are to extend the elementary basketball season through the first week of February to allow everyone to make up the dates that were missed last week and hold the postseason tournament on Feb. 5, 8, and 12, provided there are no other weather conditions that cause any games to be postponed,” said Willmore Tuesday.

The 7-8 grade postseason tournament is scheduled to be played at Charlie Dalton Gym, with the 3-point Club serving as hosts. If the elementary league can complete by the first of February and its postseason does not conflict with home games for WCHS, the plan seems to be to keep the tournament at the high school.

Elementary schools have been asked to work among themselves to get all the games in and, so far, it has happened without a hitch. All of last week’s games have new dates, though Morrison may have the hardest job of juggling a new schedule.

The Lady Eagles and Eagles are going to be playing away from home for the rest of the season due to a water leak that damaged the court at Morrison. Because of the court issues, Morrison has had to work to reschedule last week’s game and find new dates for what were supposed to be home games against Dibrell and Eastside.

Morrison and Dibrell have agreed to play a rare elementary doubleheader on Jan. 20. Games will begin at 4 p.m. with the girls, then the boys will play at 5:15 p.m. The Lady Wildcats and Lady Eagles will battle again at 6:30 p.m., then the Wildcats and Eagles will play a nightcap at 7:30 p.m.

Going into Tuesday night’s games, Morrison and Dibrell were still unbeaten in boys basketball. Morrison is currently 5-0 after Monday’s win at Boyd, while Dibrell moved to 4-0 with a blowout victory at Centertown (more coming on the WCSA website on Monday’s games).

The Jan. 20 doubleheader at Dibrell will likely decide who wins the boys elementary regular season title.

Morrison has also announced it will play at Irving College Jan. 25 and at Eastside Feb. 1.

Along with rescheduling games from Jan. 4 and Jan. 6, the elementary schedule still has sets of games scheduled for Jan. 13, Jan. 18 and Jan. 20. Those dates have largely been unchanged.

Here the full set of rescheduled dates from last week (subject to change if more games are postponed due to snow):

Jan. 4 games

Boyd at Irving College --- Now set for Tuesday, Feb. 1

Eastside at Centertown – scheduled for tonight, Jan. 11

Dibrell at Morrison – changed to doubleheader, Jan. 20

Jan. 6 games

Centertown at Boyd – changed to Tuesday, Jan. 25

Eastside at Dibrell – scheduled for Thursday, Jan. 27

Morrison at Irving College – moved to Tuesday, Jan. 25

Other rescheduled dates:

• The Dec. 16 game between Dibrell and Irving College, originally postponed due to the flu within the Wildcat program, will be made up tonight, Jan. 11 at Irving College.

• Morrison at Eastside, originally set for Jan. 13, has been moved to Feb. 1.

• Morrison at Centertown, originally set for Jan. 18, has been moved to Jan. 27.

The elementary tournament will no longer take place Jan. 22-29.