North Carolina’s high school football season extended by one week due to the effects of Hurricane Helene

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s board of directors made the decision Wednesday morning

Mike Duprez | Oct 9, 2024

Hoggard's #88 Charlie Kilbourne scores as Hoggard took on Weddington High School in the 4A Football Championship at Carter-Finley Stadium in Raleigh Saturday Dec. 9, 2023. Weddington beat Hoggard 56 -21 to win the State Championship. KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS / KEN BLEVINS/STARNEWS / USA TODAY NETWORK

North Carolina’s high school football season has been extended by one week due to the continuing effects of Hurricane Helene.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association’s board of directors made the decision Wednesday morning.

“Changes to the fall calendar are difficult as well aa complex and necessary,” said NCHSAA President Dr. Stephen Gainey and NCHAA Commissioner Que Tucker in a joint statement. “Keeping our student-athletes safe as we try to minimize the risk of injury was central to any decisions made.

“We commend the work of the NCHSAA staff in its research, the Board of Directors in making time to consider these changes and the willingness of our host partners to accommodate any changes and make their venues available.”

The regular season will now conclude on Nov. 8, with the playoffs beginning Nov. 15. State championship games will be played Dec. 20-21.

Numerous games have been postponed because of the devastation in western North Carolina and the extra week allows time to make up some of them. The board, effective immediately, mandated a minimum of 72 hours between contests. Sunday games and practices are still not allowed.

The reporting deadline for the playoffs is Nov. 9 at 11:59 p.m.

A special provision was enacted by the board that allows an additional contest for all sports with a season limit. To exceed that limit, prior approval must be obtained from the NCHSAA, the contest must exceed the season limit for both schools and the contest must not be entered into MaxPreps.

This potentially allows schools not dealing with postponements to add another football game on Nov. 8, which was the original date to begin the playoffs.

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Published Oct 9, 2024

MIKE DUPREZ

Mike Duprez became a freelance sports journalist for Scorebooklive.com several months after retiring from the newspaper business. A native of Oakland, California, Duprez moved around as a child due to his father’s service in the United States Marine Corps. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1981. Duprez, who lives in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, had 30 years of experience in newspapers as well as other endeavors before retiring at the end of 2021. He covers stories in both North Carolina and South Carolina for Scorebooklive.com.