I do not have a problem with Pacific Grove electing not to play its game Friday in the San Joaquin Valley because of an excessive heat warning alert.
Safety first.
But I question the timing.
We were all warned about a heat wave coming into this weekend, particularly the inland areas.
Yet, as of Thursday, this game was still on.
Because Orestimba of Newman did not agree to cancel the game, it will go down as a forfeit for the Breakers.
Apparently moving the starting time to 9 p.m. -- with a 100 mile bus ride home -- wasn't appealing to Pacific Grove.
It's unlikely these teams will face each other again. Orestimba is a powerful program. Teams opt out of their two year deals all the time.
That's not really the issue here.
Parents have a right to be concerned for their kids' safety. More than a few expressed their feelings, albeit late in the game.
In the end, I don't know if head coach Chris Morgan had an option.
John Devine has been writing about high school sports in Monterey County since, well, practically since he was an athlete at King City in the days just after leather helmets. In PrepNation, John has even more in-depth analysis of the latest results and news he's brought to you in The Herald and in his weekly videos.
Follow Me
The Monterey County Herald reserves the right to edit posts and delete any comments that violate the Terms of Service & Privacy Agreement.
1 comment:
Agree on both counts - a). we have a right to be concerned for safety and b) the timing was questionable.
A). When schools more accustomed to the heat cancel games due to heat, you know it's hot!
B). The PG football players were waiting for the bus on Friday for a 2:30 pick up. The game was called off at 2:15.
Due to a logistical snafu, the charter buses were canceled, thus leaving the teams to ride 2 hours with 100 degree air blowing through the windows.
PGHS leaderships inability to make a decision sooner than 15 minutes is a travesty. Additionally, as players parents, we never heard from the coaches, principal, etc., during this entire fiasco.
Regarding those who negatively comment on how soft PG is, let it be known that 100% of the players were chomping at the bit to play that game. The decision to cancel was not the players choice.
Post a Comment