The winter sports season — idle since before Christmas — ramps up quickly, with high school and middle school athletes returning to action this week.
Iola’s basketball players and wrestlers are anticipating a busy two months, provided the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic doesn’t disrupt schedules.
The Mustang and Fillies basketball teams will be at Osawatomie on Friday, at Pittsburg-St. Mary’s Colgan on Monday and at home next Friday against Wellsville.
Both have had to deal with several changes before Christmas. The Fillies were able to only play twice before the holidays — coming in a three-day stretch — while the Mustangs saw one of its games called off because of coronavirus protocols.
Iola wrestlers, meanwhile, return to action Tuesday at home against Wellsville and Osawatomie before traveling to Santa Fe Trail on Jan. 14 and at Anderson County Jan. 19.
The schedule takes a big deviation from its original plans the following week, as Iola, Humboldt and Marmaton Valley — originally slated to be at a tournament in Yates Center — will instead take on each other in their round-robin competition at each of the three schools.
On Jan. 19, the action takes place in Moran, with Marmaton Valley and Humboldt boys and girls taking on each other in the new gymnasium; and Iola playing St. Paul in the old gym.
On Jan. 21, the setting shifts to Humboldt, with the Cubs and Lady Cubs hosting St. Paul, while Iola’s Mustangs and Fillies will grapple with Marmaton Valley.
The next night, on Jan. 22, Iola serves as the host school and will take on Humboldt. Marmaton Valley plays St. Paul in the Iola Middle School gymnasium.
Because of the ongoing coronavirus threat, attendance to all athletic events, at the high school or middle school levels, are limited to two parents per participant.
The attendance restrictions run through Jan. 28.
HUMBOLDT’S schedule next week is largely unchanged, at least for basketball. The Cubs and Lady Cubs do not resume play until next week with home games against Fredonia Jan. 12 and Cherryvale Jan. 15.
The Cub wrestlers, meanwhile, have be at home on Jan. 16 for the Tri-Valley League meet, a departure from the squad’s original schedule.
CREST’S squads will have a hectic return to action, with a home game Friday against Altoon-Midway, back-to-back road games on Monday and Tuesday, first at Northeast-Arma on Monday and the aforementioned road game Tuesday at Marmaton Valley. The Lancers and Lady Lancers then travel to Chetopa on Jan. 15, for their fourth games in a week.
SPEAKING OF Marmaton Valley, the Wildcats return to action Friday, with home games against Oswego, another round of home games Tuesday against Crest, and then Jan. 15 at Southeast-Cherokee.
