With school closings Wednesday and Friday, nearly all of the area's boys games were put on hold, creating the unenviable task of scheduling make-up games.
Under Harrison County policy, once school is canceled, no games or practices may be held.
For Lincoln girls coach Jeff Osbourn, whose team is 17-0 and No. 1-ranked in Class AA, the cancellations couldn't have come at a worse time. Last week, standout shooting guard Teresa Medina went down with a partially torn MCL.
Lincoln since has had one practice to replace someone who has started every game since her freshman season. Reserves Abbey Mills and Beth Tacy have done an admirable job in her absence, combining for 12.5 points per game in wins over Class AA power Ritchie County and an improving South Harrison team. However, Lincoln has a key game at home with Grafton on Tuesday and nemesis Tucker County looming on Feb. 15.
Osbourn says he hopes to have Medina back by the Tucker County game. Until then, getting in the gymnasium to practice is a big concern.
"I think they need to do something about this rule," Osbourn said earlier this week. "It's killing us right now. We've gotten one practice in since Teresa got hurt, and it's tough for these girls to just walk out on the floor and play."
Medina's absence was never more evident than in Lincoln's 42-31 win over South Harrison on Thursday.
The Hawks 2-3 zone continually frustrated Lincoln, almost daring the Cougars to shoot from the perimeter and slowing the game's pace.
Without Medina in the lineup, Lincoln made just 4 of 14 3-pointers.
"I don't think people realize how important she is to us," Osbourn said. "We miss her shooting a lot, but we also miss the continuity she brings to our whole offense."
n Class AAA No. 1 Parkersburg South will be in Clarksburg on Wednesday when it visits Robert C. Byrd. The Patriots (10-3) defeated the Eagles, 64-43, in the season opener, and have since gone on to a second-place finish at the Beach Ball Classic in Myrtle Beach, S.C., where they defeated the top ranked AAAA team in North Carolina. Parkersburg South is led by senior Ryan Crislip who is headed to the University of Arkansas-Little Rock.
n Paw Paw's Josh Delauder stands 57 points shy from breaking the state scoring title of 2,660 set by Flemington's Paul Popovich from 1955-58. Delauder is 16 points behind Princeton's Rod Thorn (2,616) who played from 1956-59, and listed in second place.