PARKERSBURG - In the grand scheme of things, changing hotel reservations and times of departure for the next week's high school state soccer tournament is a very minor inconvenience for the Parkersburg High School boys team compared to what citizens along the East Coast are experiencing while trying to cope with the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy.
One day after postponing the event from its original start date of this upcoming Friday, the West Virginia Secondary School Activities Commission sent out another news release on Wednesday indicating the venue has been changed.
Instead of traveling to Beckley's YMCA Youth Sports Complex for Tuesday's Class AAA semifinal match with George Washington, the second-ranked Big Reds (16-3-4) will meet the sixth-ranked Patriots (16-5-2) at Schoenbaum Soccer Stadium in Charleston.
Article Photos
Photo by Jeff Baughan
Parkersburg's Garrett Kruger heads the ball away from a University player during their regional final game.
The tournament's co-director, David Laraba, notified the WVSSAC on Wednesday that with the amount of snow on the fields (in Beckley) it would be next to impossible to play at their site any time next week.
"In all fairness to the youngsters who will be participating in the state tournament, they need a venue that will not impact the outcome of the game," Laraba said. "It is in the best interest of our sport to move the tournament."
Starting time for the Big Reds' match remains the same, and that is 30 minutes following the completion of the first semifinal match between top-ranked Hurricane (21-0-1) and No. 16 Hedgesville (14-6-1), which will begin at 5 p.m.
Fact Box
W.Va. State Soccer
Tournament
At Schoenbaum Soccer Complex, Charleston
Class AAA boys
- Tuesday, Nov. 6: Hurricane vs. Hedgesville, 5 p.m.; Parkersburg vs. George Washington, 30 minutes following completion of first match
- Wednesday, Nov. 7: Championship, 45 minutes following completion of Class AAA girls championship match (which is scheduled to begin at 10:30 a.m.)
All Class AAA matches - both boys and girls - on Tuesday and Wednesday will take place at Schoenbaum Soccer Stadium, while the Class AA/A brackets will be played out at Charleston's Trace Fork Complex.
"We will be playing on a turf field, and we're used to that," PHS coach Don Fosselman said.
If the Big Reds win on Tuesday, they advance to Wednesday's championship match seeking a possible seventh state title. The finals are scheduled to begin 45 minutes following the completion of the Class AAA girls championship, which begins at 10:30 a.m.
"My wife (Sherry) put it in perspective," PHS coach Don Fosselman said. "With all the devastation on the East Coast, (changing the venue) is very minor. We are very blessed that we get to go to the state tournament. We are not going to quibble about moving a hotel reservation or anything like that."
