As the federal government shutdown entered its third day on Friday, officials announced that Trigg County’s road football game at Fort Campbell has been rescheduled for later this month.
Trigg County Athletic Director Doug Gloyd said the schools have agreed to play on Thursday, October 30, at Fort Campbell’s Fryar Stadium. That means Trigg County’s Oct. 31 game at Fulton County will not be played. Fort Campbell originally had a bye week the final weekend of October.
Trigg County’s bye week is next Friday, but it falls during fall break, and there was no guarantee Trigg County would have a full roster in town to compete. Fort Campbell has a home game with Memphis White Station on its schedule for the same night.
The deadline to play a seeded football game is usually the tenth Saturday of the year, which would be October 25. However, KHSAA Commissioner Julien Tackett informed the schools that have Fort Campbell or Fort Knox on their schedule that the deadline has been extended in the past to the final Saturday of the season when natural disaster situations have occurred, including a global pandemic.
Had Friday’s game not been played, it likely would have resulted in a Fort Campbell forfeit. The game has serious implications for the Class 2A District 1 playoff race as the winner likely will be assured a postseason berth, while the loser would have to win its final two games to be in consideration.
Tackett said the scheduling or rescheduling of the game was at the discretion of the schools involved. The decision to play the game on Thursday was likely made because the KHSAA uses a Ratings Percentage Index to seed teams for postseason, in which each game could potentially impact up to 1000 teams (the team opponents, their opponents, and their opponents’ opponents.
A Thursday result would lock in the seeding before the final games of the regular season, which will also impact the RPI.
Tackett also encouraged the affected schools to try and reshcedule the games instead of taking a forfeit win because “the students and all others at all affected schools have worked long and hard for competition opportunities, and administrators should shut down early any talk of competition and results advantages of not playing, as this is NOT in the true spirit of interscholastic athletics that we all strive to uphold.”
The DoDEA said earlier this week that schools will remain open for normal operations, except for sports. That means no practices or extracurricular activities, or games. It also treats the situation like the KHSAA dead period each summer, in which student-athletes can’t use school facilities
The soccer teams have a more immediate concern with the 8th District Tournament scheduled for next week. The girls are scheduled to play on Monday, while the boys are set to play on Tuesday. With the region schedule already set, it’s not likely those semifinal matches will be pushed back to accommodate the federal shutdown should it run into next week.
In the guidance sent to the schools on Thursday, Tackett said if district (or regional) contests are unable to be played due to the shutdown, “Fort Campbell shall forfeit those contests to allow for appropriate bracket advancement.”
The shutdown does not affect Fort Knox in soccer because they are not participating in this year’s district soccer competition at their request.
Fort Campbell’s Thursday game at Webster County was canceled.
Fort Campbell’s volleyball team has a little more time before its postseason begins. The Lady Falcons are 11-2 and are having their best season in 15 years. They have a Thursday game scheduled with Kenwood and a game next Tuesday with Hopkinsville.
The volleyball postseason doesn’t begin until October 20, which could be enough time for Congress to pass a spending plan.
However, the Lady Falcons would have to forfeit Tuesday’s district game with Hopkinsville if the shutdown continues through next week. If district (or regional) contests are unable to be played due to the shutdown, Fort Campbell shall forfeit those contests to allow for appropriate bracket advancement.
Fort Campbell’s golf team has already concluded its season, while the cross country team has its region meet scheduled for October 25. The shutdown could affect their schedule leading up to the region meet.
The government shutdown will not impact the playing of college sports games at Air Force, Army, and Navy.
