CORONAVIRUS UPDATE: High School events wrap up this weekend

By TIM GAYLE

Baseball and softball tournaments will wrap up play with championship games tonight at Macon East Academy. 

It may be the last high school sporting events held in the region this school year. 

Officials with the Alabama High School Athletic Association and the Alabama Independent School Association both decided to suspend play in all high school sports through the end of the month in response to the coronavirus outbreak that is crippling all sporting events throughout the country.

AISA officials moved first, allowing schools to complete any athletic activities scheduled for this weekend. 

“Based on the most current information we have available, the AISA will suspend all AISA sponsored activities effective Sunday, March 15, 2020 through Sunday, April 5, 2020,” said a statement released by executive director Michael McLendon to the member schools. “Schools determining to immediately suspend participation in activities today (Friday, March 13, 2020), will not be penalized with fines or forfeiture.  Those schools choosing to suspend all activities immediately should contact their opponents in a timely manner. 

“This suspension will include all AISA sanctioned athletic events and academic programs/competitions.  Remaining scheduled accreditation visits will be postponed until fall of 2020 to allow for proper planning and coordination of those visits. The AISA athletic committee, along with the AISA coaches council and heads association, will work together to develop contingency plans for continuing and completing the Spring Championship Athletic Programs. Those plans will be made in consideration of the most updated information in the coming days.”

The AHSAA decision followed the announcement earlier Friday from Gov. Kay Ivey, which will shut down all state schools on Wednesday. 

“Based on the Governor’s and the Alabama State Department of Education’s (ALSDE) directives to close all schools across the state for a period of 2.5 weeks beginning Wednesday, March 18, 2020, all athletic events including, but not limited to, contests, practices, weightlifting and conditioning are hereby suspended during this time,” read a statement released by AHSAA executive director Steve Savarese. “The last date for any athletic activity will be Tuesday, March 17th. The AHSAA will continue to work with the ALSDE, Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), Center of Disease Control (CDC) and the AHSAA Medical Advisory Board (MAB) to analyze the status of the current health situation. 

“At the end of the 2.5 week school closure period, the AHSAA will reevaluate health conditions and determine the status of spring sports championship play.”

Alabama Christian will have middle school and junior varsity home baseball contests on Monday and Tuesday and Prattville Christian Academy has a home baseball game scheduled for Tuesday against Dallas County, but all other activity for area teams – the majority of which are on spring break next week – falls after the Tuesday cutoff.

Trinity, LAMP and Alabama Christian Academy baseball teams had planned to play in the Gulf Coast Classic in Gulf Shores. 

AISA officials went on to release a set of answers to expected questions, noting that the April 6 resumption of play is subject to further evaluation, changes to postseason play are almost certainly expected and the championship venues may change, depending on the policies of city officials governing those facilities, such as Montgomery’s Paterson Field and Lagoon Park Softball Complex.

The AHSAA release said a list of answers to expected questions will be placed on the organization’s web site (www.ahsaa.com) on Monday.

Macon East Baseball Tournament 

THURSDAY

Game 1 -- Macon East Academy 12, Abbeville Christian 0

Game 2 -- Lowndes Academy 12, Crenshaw Christian 11

Game 3 – Pike Liberal Arts 4, Hooper Academy 3

FRIDAY

Game 4 – Escambia Academy 5, Monroe Academy 4

Game 5 – Macon East Academy 5, Lowndes Academy 0

Game 6 – Pike Liberal Arts 5, Escambia Academy 0

Game 7 – Pike Liberal Arts 6, Macon East Academy 1

Game 8 – Crenshaw Christian 17, Abbeville Christian 1

SATURDAY
Game 9 – Hooper Academy vs. Monroe Academy, 9 a.m.

Game 10 – Escambia Academy vs. Crenshaw Christian, 11 a.m.

Game 11 – Lowndes Academy vs. Hooper-Monroe winner, 1 p.m.

Game 12 – Winner Game 10 vs. winner Game 11, 3 p.m.

Game 13 – Macon East Academy vs. winner Game 12, 5 p.m.

Game 14 – Championship game, Pike Liberal vs. Game 13 winner, 7 p.m. (A second game, if necessary, will immediately follow)