[9/15/04]As Hurricane Ivan barrels toward the Gulf Coast, high school officials around Mississippi are weighing their options for Friday night’s football games.

Ennis Proctor, executive director of the Mississippi High School Activities Association, said a decision will be made later today about canceling or postponing games. Options could include moving some games to Saturday or Monday, or pushing the entire schedule back a week.

“They have given everybody the opportunity to go Saturday or Monday,” Vicksburg Warren athletic director Lum Wright said. “But if it hits on the coast, it might be Wednesday or Thursday before they even have power again … In the past I’ve seen them just move it back a whole week.”

Vicksburg High is the one Warren County school that figures to be most affected by the storm. The Gators are scheduled to play at South Pike on Friday. Magnolia, where South Pike is located, could receive hurricane force winds from Ivan.

The hurricane currently packing 140 mph winds is forecast to make landfall along the Gulf Coast late tonight or early Thursday with winds in excess of 110 mph.

While the strongest part of the storm will be off to the east, hurricane and tropical storm force winds extend up to 290 miles from the center.

What’s left of Ivan should be in northern Alabama by Friday night, but many areas will still have storm damage. Evacuations along the coast have also shut down schools this week.

Wright, like Proctor, said a final decision will come this afternoon.

“By (this) afternoon we will make a legitimate statement,” Wright said. “We’re looking at moving it back to Saturday or Monday, or moving it up here.”

Warren Central will also play on the road, against Natchez, but should be out of range of Ivan’s worst. St. Aloysius is home against Stringer, while Porters Chapel is on the road against Tensas.

Les Triplett, director of activities for the Mississippi Private Schools Association, was unavailable for comment on Tuesday.

PCA coach Randy Wright said he had not heard of any decision from the MPSA, however, and was planning to play Friday night.

Among area schools, Lake Providence and Port Gibson could be most affected. Lake Providence is at Loyd Star in Brookhaven, and Port Gibson hosts Heidelberg, which could have trouble making it to the game.

Hinds Community College also postponed its Thursday game against Jones. It has been rescheduled for Saturday at 3 p.m. in Raymond.