The looming presence of Hurricane Rita has forced Galveston County to put high school athletics on hold.
All sporting events for the remainder of the week were canceled as area schools closed Tuesday afternoon to allow students to evacuate as the hurricane makes its way toward the Gulf Coast.
“We don’t want to miss any time, but that is the least of our worries,” said Friendswood football coach Steve Van Meter, whose game against Crosby was pushed back until Sept. 30.
Tuesday’s Santa Fe-La Marque match was the only volleyball game played as most other schools decided to forgo contests.
Gulf Greyhound Park also announced plans to cancel live racing beginning today. The park is currently planning to resume action Sept. 27.
Until further notice, Gulf Greyhound Park will remain open for import simulcasting.
The majority of schools will wait until Monday to begin rescheduling games that were canceled, with Ball High tentatively moving its District 24-5A football opener against Clear Brook to Monday night.
“We’re looking to get it in,” said GISD athletic coordinator for males Brent Jaco. “Courville Stadium drains very well, but we’ll make an assessment Sunday or early Monday before deciding.”
In the case of the 2-2 Mustangs football team, the move to next Friday worked perfectly. Both Friendswood and Crosby were scheduled for open weeks, making it a smooth transition.
Texas City, which was scheduled to play Forest Brook on Friday night, also had Sept. 30 open. The Stingarees will look to find a school that will be available to play since Forest Brook opens their District 19-4A schedule that night.
The cancellation marks the second time in four years a Stingaree-Jaguar game was delayed by weather. The 2002 game was canceled by Tropical Storm Faye.
“Once we come back, we plan on hitting the ground running,” said La Marque athletic director and football coach Bryan Erwin.
Friday is the open week for the Cougar football team, but a Texas City-La Marque volleyball game scheduled for Friday evening will be postponed.
