(Associated Press photo)
SANTA CRUZ COUNTY — The Aptos High and Watsonville High Friday night football games were postponed because of poor air quality stemming from the ongoing fires in California’s Wine Country.
The order came down from Pajaro Valley Unified School District brass on Friday morning.
According to Air Quality Index on AirNow.Gov, the air quality in Santa Cruz County was deemed “unhealthy” as of 2 p.m. The skies could very well have cleared by the 7:30 p.m. kickoff but the district decided to err on the side of caution, postponing all outdoor athletic events until at least Monday.
“We appreciate the district putting the health of the student-athletes first,” said Aptos Athletic Director Mark Dorfman. “There’s nothing more important than that. It’s the right decision.”
The two PVUSD football programs joined dozens of other teams from Northern California in either postponing or canceling their Friday night games because of dangerous levels of smoke from the deadly fires, which have, as of Friday afternoon, killed 34 and displaced thousands from their homes, according to media reports.
The Central Coast Section on Thursday made the decision to push back the start of the football playoffs by one week to allow teams from the section to make up Friday’s postponed games at a later date.
The change will not impede any CCS football team from competing in a California Interscholastic Federation NorCal bowl game or state championship, as the CCS finals will now be held on Dec. 1-2.
Watsonville Athletic Director Mark Northcutt said the Wildcatz would try to reschedule their Monterey Bay League Pacific division game against Gilroy High — their homecoming game — for Nov. 10.
Dorfman said the Mariners would also try to reschedule their MBL-Gabilan division game against Alvarez High on the same date.
At the time of print, Aptos and Watsonville were the only schools in the county that had canceled their varsity football games.
North Monterey County High was set to play its MBL-Pacific division game at Monterey High on Friday, according to Condors head coach Sean Gomes.
St. Francis High Athletic Director Adam Hazel said the Sharks’ football game against Soquel High scheduled for Saturday at 2 pm. would still happen.
According to AirNow.Gov, the air quality in Watsonville on Saturday is expected to improve to the “unhealthy for sensitive groups” range or even into “moderate.”
Hazel said he had been checking the online report every hour.
As of Friday afternoon, Saturday’s game was a go.
“We look like we’ll be OK but that could change,” Hazel said, “It’s tough to predict but I’m keeping an eye on it.”
Monte Vista Christian Athletic Director Matt Coleman said on Friday afternoon that the Mustangs’ MBL-Gabilan division football game against Palma High at Rabobank Stadium in Salinas was still scheduled for Saturday night at 7:30 p.m.
