Smoky air fallout: High school and youth football, soccer games canceled
The featured game of the week on the Boise-area high school football schedule was canceled Friday morning because of air quality.
No. 4 Capital High of Boise and Highland High of Pocatello needed to make a decision early in the day because the Rams were traveling across the state for the game at Dona Larsen Park. The game was canceled at 9 a.m.
The only way that it will be made up is if the Idaho High School Activities Association decides to extend the season by one week to allow all canceled games from this week to be played, Capital coach Todd Simis said. That’s “highly unlikely,” he said.
When the decision was made, the Air Quality Index was 151 (red) in Boise. The forecast is for 155.
[Related: Boise area could get break from smoke but long-term forecast is bleak]
As of 3 p.m. Friday, these are the latest schedule changes.
▪ Thursday night’s game between Boise and Timberline was rescheduled to 2 p.m. Saturday at Dona Larsen Park. That moves the Columbia at Borah game at Dona Larsen up to 11 a.m.
▪ Nampa at Eagle was moved to 3 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Rocky Mountain at Meridian is rescheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday
▪ Mountain View at Centennial was moved to 2 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Skyview at Ridgevue was rescheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Vallivue at Middleton was moved to 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Caldwell at Bishop Kelly was rescheduled for 2:30 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Weiser at Ontario, Ore., was moved to noon Saturday.
▪ Vale, Ore., at Homedale was rescheduled for noon Saturday.
▪ Marsing at Payette was canceled.
▪ Nyssa, Ore., at New Plymouth was rescheduled for Saturday, then canceled.
▪ Saturday’s game between Salmon and Cole Valley Christian was moved to 5:30 p.m. Saturday at Lighthouse Christian in Twin Falls.
▪ Council will play at Idaho City at 5 p.m. Saturday. The game was originally scheduled in Council.
▪ Notus at Tri-Valley was moved to 7 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Salmon River’s trip to Prairie was canceled and will not be rescheduled.
▪ Garden Valley at Wilder is rescheduled for 7 p.m. Oct. 20.
The following four games will be played as scheduled.
▪ Kuna at Rigby, 7 p.m.
▪ Emmett at Mountain Home, 7 p.m.
▪ Fruitland at Gooding, 7 p.m.
▪ Rockland at Rimrock, 4 p.m.
The Boise, West Ada and Nampa school districts cancel outdoor events once the AQI exceeds 150 into the red and “unhealthy” category. Other schools in the 5A and 4A Southern Idaho Conferences follow similar policies.
An Idaho Department of Health and Welfare flyer states schools should “consider rescheduling or relocating” sporting events once the AQI reaches the red alert status.
“As far as the varsity games (Friday), if it’s in the red, we will not hold them,” West Ada spokesman Eric Exline said. “We have a contingency plan to hold them on Saturday.”
The Boise Optimist Youth Football league canceled all of its games Saturday. Idaho Youth Soccer scrapped its D3 and Outback league matches, as did the FC Nova and Idaho Rush youth leagues.
The 4A Southern Idaho Conference enters the weekend in the toughest spot as the league begins its conference schedule. Losing league games would throw a wrench into playoff qualification as not every team would play each other by the end of the regular season.
“If we don’t get it in and play on Saturday, then we may have to contact the IHSAA and see what we can do,” Bishop Kelly Athletic Director Tom Shanahan said. “Maybe we add a week at the end of the season, and then the championships are over Thanksgiving. But I don’t think that’s likely.”
The Treasure Valley and North Idaho are both fighting air quality concerns. But games should continue as scheduled in the Twin Falls, Pocatello and Idaho Falls regions.
This story was originally published September 8, 2017 at 9:20 AM with the headline "Smoky air fallout: High school and youth football, soccer games canceled."