Serving Franklin County, WA
Serving Franklin County, WA
Football, girls volleyball, girls soccer and girls slowpitch games cannot start until at least March 1
UPDATE: On Saturday, Feb. 13, Franklin County and the surrounding area were moved to Phase 2, allowing football, and girls volleyball, soccer and slowpitch softball games to proceed as previously scheduled.
PASCO — With Gov. Jay Inslee declining to allow Franklin County to advance to his so-called “Phase 2” of coronavirus recovery, the Pasco, Columbia and North Franklin school districts will have to delay middle and high school football, and girls volleyball, soccer and slowpitch softball.
Pasco, Chiawana, Columbia (Burbank) and Connell athletes in those sports will have to wait until at least March 1 to compete.
According to the governor, that's the next opportunity for the so-called "South-Central Region" to move to Phase 2.
By remaining in the so-called "Phase 1" for two more weeks, the only prep sports allowed at this time are co-ed cross country and girls swimming and diving.
Under current sports schedules, and governor permitting, here are the tentative opening dates for football, and girls soccer, slowpitch and volleyball:
Chiawana High School
Chiawana girls on the soccer and volleyball teams will have to wait until March 2 to play games. The volleyball team is scheduled to host the Richland Bombers at 7 p.m. that day. Meanwhile, the soccer team is set to play at Hanford, 450 Hanford St., Richland, at 7 p.m.
The Riverhawks football team can tentatively take the gridiron March 5, when it is scheduled to host Kamiakin. Kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Columbia (Burbank) High School
Under the current schedule, the Coyote girls will be able to see sports action as soon as March 2.
The girls volleyball team is tentatively scheduled to play River View at White Salmon High School, 1455 N.W. Bruin Country Road, White Salmon. Junior varsity begins at 5:30 p.m. and varsity starts at 6:30 p.m.
Columbia’s girls soccer team would open at home. The conference game against Mabton would get under way at 6 p.m.
The Coyote football team wouldn’t get to play until Friday, March 5. It is scheduled to play at 7 p.m. that night at River View, 36509 S. Lemon Drive, Finley.
Connell High School
The Connell Eagles girls volleyball and girls soccer teams will be able to play their first games of the season March 1.
The soccer team is scheduled to host Kiona-Benton at 6 p.m. The volleyball team is scheduled to host Toppenish, with junior varsity and C-squad games to begin at 5:30 p.m. and varsity at 6:30 p.m.
The boys will have to wait until March 5 to take to the gridiron. The Eagles are scheduled to host College Place that night; kickoff is at 7 p.m.
Pasco High School
The Bulldogs girls soccer and volleyball teams are tentatively scheduled to play March 2.
The girls soccer team would open its season at Walla Walla, 800 Abbott Road, Walla Walla. Gametime is 2 p.m. Meanwhile, the volleyball team would open at home at 5 p.m. that night. It will host Kamiakin at 7 p.m.
Pasco High School’s earliest football game would now occur March 5, when the Bulldogs travel to Walla Walla to play the Blue Devils. Freshman football kicks off at 3:30 p.m., varsity at 7 p.m. at the stadium at 409 E. Rees Ave., Walla Walla.
The governor’s orders preventing the region from moving to Phase 2 also include those sports at other middle and high schools in Columbia, Walla Walla, Benton, Yakima and Kittitas counties.
Roger Harnack is the co-owner/publisher of Free Press Publishing. Having grown up Benton City, Roger is an award-winning journalist, photographer, editor and publisher. He's one of only two editorial/commentary writers from Washington state to ever receive the international Golden Quill. Roger is dedicated to the preservation of local media, and the voice it retains for Eastern Washington.
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