Gators, Greenville will play Monday

Published 12:00 am Saturday, October 10, 2009

Vicksburg and Greenville-Weston will get to play their version of Monday Night Football.

The two teams were supposed to play Friday night in Greenville, but severe storms forced the game to be postponed until Monday at 7. A strong line of storms ripped through southern Arkansas early Friday afternoon and continued on into the Delta a few hours later. Vicksburg coach Alonzo Stevens said dicey travel conditions and the threat of more heavy rain today left no option but to play on Monday night.

“We got a call from them and they said it was just not feasible for us to play up there tonight,” Stevens said. “I wanted to play Saturday but there is a 60 percent chance of more rain up there and knowing how bad that field can be, we just have to wait until Monday. If we can get a dry day Sunday and most of the day Monday, the field may be okay by then.”

Email newsletter signup

Sign up for The Vicksburg Post's free newsletters

Check which newsletters you would like to receive
  • Vicksburg News: Sent daily at 5 am
  • Vicksburg Sports: Sent daily at 10 am
  • Vicksburg Living: Sent on 15th of each month

Playing Monday night, however, creates another set of problems. VHS (0-6, 0-2 Region 2-6A) is scheduled to host top-ranked Madison Central next Friday. Playing Monday will leave, in effect, only one day of practice between games. Stevens said the team will meet Sunday.

“It will put us on an extremely short week for Madison Central. We’re going to have to make all kinds of adjustments to our practice routine,” Stevens said. “We won’t go out, but we will go over the game plan in the class room. Then on Monday, we’ll head up there. We won’t be able to do much on Tuesday, because you have to let their bodies recover in what I feel will be a very physical game. Our Tuesday practice will have to go on Wednesday and we may have to do a little more than what we do for a Thursday.”

The unexpected night off wasn’t a restful one for Stevens and his coaching staff.

“We’re going somewhere. Most likely, it’ll be Madison and Warren Central,” Stevens said.

*

Contact Jeff Byrd at jbyrd@vicksburgpost.com