Skyview’s boys basketball team is on its way to the Class 4A state tournament for the first time in program history, and one of coach Matt Gruhler’s biggest concerns Wednesday was whether he’d be able to have a full team at practice.
That is, once he received the all-clear to practice.
“But at least we’ll be in the gym,” he said.
The Storm held practice for 90 minutes Wednesday aftery Vancouver Public Schools, along with other area districts, closed school as a result of late-season snow accumulation that’s impacted Clark County since Tuesday.
The district granted access for the optional practice for a second straight day as the weather threw a wrench into game plan preparation for the area’s 12 basketball teams playing in regional games Friday and Saturday.
Said Gruhler, whose Storm face Enumclaw at 6 p.m. Saturday at Battle Ground High School: “I’d feel much better if I knew Enumclaw wasn’t practicing.”
Evergreen Public Schools also was one of the area districts that canceled all after-school activities Tuesday and Wednesday.
When inclement weather strikes and forces school to be canceled, administrators also determine if after-school activities, including athletic events and practices, are canceled.
But each district sets its own policies, meaning other area basketball teams, such as La Center, were back in the gym Wednesday.
The Wildcats’ boys teams has a 1A regional game Friday in Longview, while the girls have to travel to Yakima for a Saturday game.
After cancelling all after-school activities Tuesday because of snow, including the basketball teams’ practices, athletic director Matt Cooke said he and Superintendent Dave Holmes drove the streets of La Center to test driving conditions midday Wednesday. They determined their basketball teams could practice, but only if players were driven to and from school by parents or legal guardians.
“The main thing is we don’t want the kids to be in an accident; we want to keep them safe,” Cooke said.
Another round of snow was expected to fall overnight Wednesday, which could impact school on Thursday.
But most officials were hoping for, at worst, a delayed start to school Thursday, which would not impact afternoon practices.
