Snow Daze: Area spring sports coaches waiting to practice, rescheduling games

By Rudy Coggins
Published in Sports on February 26, 2015 1:49 PM

• Print
• Email

rcoggins@newsargus.com

You can't control Mother Nature.

Or Old Man Winter for that matter.

But each has certainly caused enough havoc -- and headaches -- among spring sports coaches in Wayne County and surrounding areas over the past 10 days.

Somebody go buy some new erasers because there's been a lot of scratching out of dates on calendars. Lack of practice time has forced cancellations and even postponements of season-opening games scheduled either for Monday or Tuesday of next week.

"It's been tough, but as I told them, don't worry about things that we can't control," Charles B. Aycock head coach Charles Davis said. "We can only control our effort and attitude, working extra hard on days that we have been able to. All baseball teams are in the same boat with the weather.

"It will take time for everyone to get up to speed. This is why preseason workouts are so important."

The Golden Falcons' season opener with perennial Big East 3-A powerhouse Wilson Hunt on Tuesday has been changed to a scrimmage. Aycock launches its 2015 campaign March 5 at county foe Rosewood, which finished runner-up in the N.C. High School Athletic Association Class 1-A eastern regional championship series last spring.

The Eagles, the reigning Carolina Conference champions, canceled one scrimmage and may lose another scrimmage Saturday since Wayne County Public Schools have scheduled a half day of school to make up for lost time due to the inclement weather.

The lack of practice time has prevented head coach Jason King from gauging the ability of the new players who have reported for preseason practice.

"We have not been able to evaluate the athletes trying out for the team like we would and because of that we haven't been able to finalize the team," said King.

"We have only been on the field once since the season started and that was on a Saturday. We can only get so frustrated because it is all out of our hands. (We're) very anxious to finally get started."

A perennial playoff fixture, Eastern Wayne canceled its first two regular-season contests next week against 2-A eastern runner-up North Lenoir and Hunt. Head coach Jabo Fulghum said the team has practiced outside just once, held a gym practice and even worked out in the locker room.

"I want our kids physically ready when we do start," Fulghum said.

The Warriors' "tentative" season opener is now March 10 at home against North Lenoir.

Southern Wayne hasn't scrapped its season opener for Tuesday, but second-year head coach Jackson Massey has plenty of concerns. Graduation took away his top hurler, Jackson Hayes. And catcher Kevin Williams, his field general, isn't behind the plate, either.

Like their respective opponents, the Saints have taken the diamond just once and worked out inside on two occasions. Jackson has seen some bright spots, but is mostly concerned with the bullpen.

"The most difficult thing is our pitching," Massey said. "We had some guys who were making strides with our pitching program, getting ready for opening day and then we have to go a week without practice. The two biggest concerns are our pitchers' durability and our overall physical shape of our team.

"We'll get there."

The Saints are scheduled to open their season Tuesday against North Lenoir. However, Massey and Hawks head coach Donnell Garris have agreed to reschedule the game as a last resort.

Spring Creek canceled its scrimmages.

Head coach Heath Whitfield, who led the Gators to a program-best 18 victories last season, said the pitchers have been working out an indoor facility -- throwing on their own and hitting.

Whitfield's concern is defense.

"We haven't done any defensive work at all," he said.