Snowstorm delays the start of basketball, wrestling and cheerleading schedules in Nassau and Suffolk
People walking at Hempstead Lake State Park in Rockville Centre during today's snow storm, Monday Feb. 1, 2021. Credit: Newsday/Alejandra Villa Loarca
The nor'easter that dumped up to two feet of snow across Long Island on Monday will delay the start of the seasons for boys and girls basketball, wrestling and competitive cheerleading.
The sports deemed high risk by the state were cleared to play last week and were scheduled to begin practicing on Monday. Basketball programs and competitive cheerleading require six practices before starting competition, and wrestling requires 10 practices. None will not start until Wednesday.
That means all competitions for boys and girls basketball and competitive cheerleading that were scheduled for next Monday, Feb. 8, will not be played. Those whose first game is slated for Feb. 9 still may be able to make that date if they practice on Sunday. Wrestling matches scheduled for Feb. 12, 19 in Suffolk and 16 in Nassau, must all be rescheduled.
Section VIII and Section XI, the governing bodies for public school sports in Nassau and Suffolk respectively, have taken swift action.
Section XI executive director Tom Combs said the entire slate of boys and girls basketball games in Suffolk that were to be played on Feb. 8 will now be played on Feb. 24, a date that was left open to plan the postseason.
Section VIII executive director Pat Pizzarelli said the games in Nassau that were to be played on Feb. 8 are being rescheduled for days in the second and third week of the compressed season and added, "It looks like we’re going to be OK to move those scheduled games if we get the officials for them."
In Nassau, there will be eight league games and no postseason. In Suffolk, there are six league games and permission for six non-league games. There will be county championships in Suffolk.
Combs said that while the Suffolk schedule was an easy fix this time, more snow days could be more problematic.
"We have a lot of games in a short period of time and we didn’t build any gaps into the schedule," he said. "We have a lot of teams playing non-league games on Sundays."
More events may need to be rescheduled if schools do not open on Sundays to permit practices.
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Roger Rubin returned to Newsday in 2018 to write about high schools, colleges and baseball following 20 years at the Daily News. A Baseball Hall of Fame voter since 2011, he has covered 13 MLB postseasons and 14 NCAA Final Fours.
