Athletic programs in 'time crunch' after wildfires cause chaos in schedule

Persistent red-flag conditions are making it tougher for local high schools to reach the winter season’s checkered flag.

Air quality concerns prompted by the series of wildfires in the region have affected more than 100 contests in recent weeks.

There is not much time left for them to be made up. Schools have until Wednesday to complete the girls water polo and wrestling regular seasons and until Feb. 5 to complete the basketball and soccer regular seasons.

“We’re in a time crunch,” said Rio Mesa athletic director Chris Ruffinelli.  

Heidi Peel, the basketball assigner for the Channel Coast Officials Association, said she is working to reschedule more than 65 games.

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“Many of my officials have been affected as well, which has made my job extremely difficult,” said Peel.

She is prioritizing varsity league games, which impact playoff qualification.

“We are limiting the reschedules on the non-varsity games,” Peel said.

Ian Anderson, the assigner for the Southern California Soccer Officials Association unit which serves schools from Goleta to Calabasas, estimated about 20 matches were rescheduled or cancelled this week.

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In the wake of the devastating fires in Pacific Palisades and Altadena, schools affected directly or indirectly have been allowed to reschedule contests on Sundays.

CIF-State executive director Ron Nocetti announced a temporary suspension of Bylaw 504.M, which prohibits interscholastic participation on seven consecutive days, on Jan. 16.

But Peel said no local schools have shown interest in playing on Sundays.

“The schools have to be open to it,” Peel said.

The Citrus Coast League, which includes Malibu High as a league member, has been directly affected by the Palisades Fire.

“Fortunately, member schools … have been able to adjust as best we can with these challenges without having to play athletic contests on Sundays,” Hueneme High athletic director Pablo Gallegos said.

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Oxnard and Ventura pushed Thursday’s boys soccer, girls soccer and girls water polo matchups to Friday.

Channel Islands and Fillmore pushed this week’s soccer and wrestling matches to Monday.

Ventura boys basketball home game against Dos Pueblos Wednesday has been pushed to Feb. 5.

Power outages affecting the Simi Valley schools last week will make for a busy Monday.

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Royal will make up water polo matches with Oak Park and Camarillo, a soccer match with Oak Park and a wrestling match with Valencia on Monday.

A Simi Valley and Camarillo wrestling match postponed has been rescheduled for Monday.

Joe Curley is a staff writer for the Star. He can be reached at [email protected]. For more coverage, follow @vcspreps on Twitter/X, Instagram/Threads, Facebook and TikTok.