Notes on
the Horrible Fire Situation
in Southern California
late October conflagrations affect many
Eric Abrams - Cajon HS (San Bernardino)
Hey Guys -
As we approach Finals week, I wanted you to know that the San Andreas
League XC Finals will not be held this Saturday as scheduled. Although
the fires in our immidiate area are out, smoke in the area is horrible.
Our schools have been closed since Tuesday and will not open until
Monday, Oct 29th. I watched as flames swooped down onto our course
and burned off all the brush on Little Mountain. The heroic efforts
of firefighters saved every home on Mirimonte St, a street that
we run on as part of our course. This fire never even made the
news. Anyway, all is well now as far as I know. We have rescheduled
our meet for Friday, November 2nd (date change on Wed 10/24) @
Blair Park in San Bernardino. Girls will run at 2:45pm and Boys
at 3:30.
Many
southland
runners
will be competing in finals with little or no training since Mt
Sac. Alot of us are in the same boat. My heart goes out to all
of the families dealing with this and worse conditions this tragic
week. I found myself in the same situation in 2004 when my wife
and I were burned ut of our old home at result of the Waterman
Canyon Fire that 04 Mt Sac Weekend.
My thoughts and prayers are with you all.
Eric Abrams -
Head XC -
Cajon HS -
San Bernardino, CA
HIGH SCHOOL SPORTS - SAN DIEGO SECTION
Week's schedule canceled; games will not be made up
By Steve Brand - SD
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER
October 24, 2007
original article link
Games ceased to be games this week. Literally.
High school athletic events in the region have been canceled through
Saturday, and, according to San Diego Section Commissioner Dennis
Ackerman, will not be rescheduled.
With the county's schools closed
this week because of the fires and poor air quality, Ackerman
declared there would be no games
or practices after a conference call yesterday with district superintendents.
Even
sports in which rescheduling events would be fairly easy, such
as cross country, will not be permitted to do so, said Ackerman,
in an effort to maintain what he considers “an even playing
field.”
Among the fall sports, football clearly has the highest
profile.
There were 43 games scheduled this week, including the
annual parochial school showdown between Catholic powers St. Augustine
and Cathedral, plus numerous homecoming contests.
“ Schools are closed and we're not even sure if they'll be
able to return on Monday,” said Ackerman, who was forced
to evacuate his home in Poway. “With all of the fires we
have going, our main concern is for the students' health because
of the air quality.
“ In an effort to make it equal for everyone,
even the Imperial Valley schools, which are not affected by the
smoke from the fires,
will not be playing.”
Poway football coach Damian Gonzalez,
who learned that his standout tight end Ryan Deehan lost his home
in the blaze, agreed with the
decision.
“ I'm absolutely OK with it,” said Gonzalez, whose
team was scheduled for a Palomar League showdown with La Costa
Canyon. “So many people are displaced right now and this
is the right thing to do. We need to make sure everyone is OK and
make sure our community is OK. This is so much bigger than worrying
about football.”
Four years ago, an entire week of high school
competition also was wiped out by wildfires. The football regular
season was extended
by one week, and the playoffs were condensed, with the championships
being played just two days later than originally scheduled.
This
time, the section has two reasons for wanting to stick with its
original championship date of Dec. 7 at Qualcomm Stadium. The
Chargers are scheduled to play Detroit at home Dec. 16, and there
must be about 10 days between the high school games and the Chargers'
next home game. Plus, participants in the State Football Championship
Bowls will be chosen Dec. 9, and the San Diego Section wants to
have its champions decided before then.
Keeping the championship
date and adding a week to the regular season would require a condensed
postseason that isn't being considered.
Since this week lands in
the middle of league play for football, there could be fallout.
“ There will be more ties for league championships,” predicted
Bruce Ward, director of physical education, health and interscholastic
athletics for the San Diego Unified School District.
“ But
if the superintendents say to close down the schools, just the
thought of playing games seems so trivial. There obviously
is concern about air quality, even inside.”
Few dispute that
this week's games should have been called off, even those teams
scheduled for activities outside the section.
Beyond this week is where there are differences of opinion.
Although
Ackerman said none of the canceled events would be made up, some
could easily be accommodated without an extra competition.
Rancho
Buena Vista and Fallbrook, two of the top boys and girls cross
country teams in the section, were scheduled to meet Friday.
RBV coach Tom Lux, whose home was threatened not once but twice
by the Witch Creek fire, said they would do what they did four
years ago.
“ We just pulled out the performances of the two schools'
runners from the league championship meet and used that score,” said
Lux.
All six Avocado League schools meet at the end of the year.
By simply comparing the two schools' performances, a winner can
be
determined.
Not the same as head-to-head, acknowledged Lux, but
better than nothing.
Even those whose football games are in the
spotlight said the decision not to play at this time is warranted.
“ Considering what has been happening, I didn't anticipate
playing (Saturday),” said St. Augustine coach Jerry Ralph,
who lives in Oceanside and said ashes from the Fallbrook fire were “falling
like snowflakes” in his yard.
“ Right now my thoughts
are toward my family, my friends and my players. I just hope we
can get back on the (practice) field
as soon as possible.”
Since the Saints-Dons game annually
attracts about 7,000 spectators, Ralph was asked if the Eastern
League matchup could replace another
game on the two teams' schedules.
“ We could do anything,” said Ralph, “I
don't think public schools are that flexible. We're a much smaller
community
and we're more responsive, but we've had at least one player lose
his house and that's our priority.
“ We'll just wait and see what happens with the fires – right
now football is on the back burner.”
Fires Leave Local Sports in Limbo - Santa Clarita
area
By Cary Osborne -
Signal Sports Editor
Wednesday October 24, 2007
original article link
The answer is very similar to the one given Monday.
" I
don't know."
The status of many of this week's high school athletic
events, due to the various fires in the Santa Clarita area, is still
uncertain.
Confirmations came from West Ranch High athletic director
Dodi Garcia and Hart head football coach Mike Herrington that Friday's
scheduled Foothill League football games would go on as planned.
Canyon
High athletic director Marlene Holomon said she couldn't give an
answer as to whether the games were on.
Should the fires continue,
there is the possibility that games could be canceled altogether.
Hypothetically,
if that were to happen, it could affect playoff representation from
the league.
" We haven't come on that situation. That's to be discussed
and determined (if games were canceled)," Holomon said. "I
don't have a good answer yet and I don't think anybody does."
Golden
Valley head football coach and co-athletic director Steve Pinkston
said his coaching staff is preparing as if the games will
be played on Friday.
" Game plans are ready to go," he said. "We're
a little behind getting them implemented. By this time of season,
you just make adjustments for the team you're playing."
Pinkston
added that he'll wait for word from the school and district on how
and if his team could practice today, due to poor air quality.
West
Ranch has moved Tuesday's scheduled girls volleyball match with Hart
to Monday and girls tennis to Friday.
Foothill League girls golf will
go on today at Vista Valencia Golf Course.
It was originally slated
for Monday at Balboa Golf Course, but was postponed.
The Buckweed
Fire, which has swept through parts of Canyon Country and Saugus,
displaced three Saugus high golfers - Melissa Hernando,
Catherine Walgamuth and Sophie Valentine.
Walgamuth's backyard was
scorched by backfires, but all three were able to return to their
homes.
Saugus is tied for third place with West Ranch going into today's
league final.
A harrowing situation happened for Canyon girls tennis
head coach Claire Harper.
Her home had to be evacuated Sunday because
the same fire roared by her backyard fence.
" I fell asleep (Saturday) thinking I might not have a home
tomorrow morning," Harper said.
" The house was full of smoke
... this was surreal. We were really worried. It was scary."
Harper
and her family left Sunday for Orange County and returned Tuesday
with their home unharmed.
College of the Canyons' golf team's Western
State Conference match, originally scheduled for Monday at Robinson
Ranch, has been canceled
and will not be made up.
The Cougars are a match away from claiming
their first WSC title since 2005.
They can make it happen Sunday at
the conference finals.
Head coach Gary Peterson said he had one player
whose house had to be evacuated.
A Ventura resident, Peterson said
the beach community is getting pounded by smoke from the Santa Clarita
area fires.
CIF State Office - CANCELS FEDERATED COUNCIL MEETING
Due to the fire situation and its aftermath in much
of Southern California, the CIF has cancelled its
upcoming Executive Committee and Federated Council meetings,
originally scheduled to take place Thursday-Friday, October 25-26, in Long Beach
The CIF Executive Committee directed CIF Executive
Director Marie M. Ishida to cancel the meetings Tuesday afternoon.
Message
board! Message board!
