SNOW WAY!: Storm wipes out another day of games

It may be time to start keeping sports schedules on chalkboards, with plenty of erasers handy.

For the second straight day Thursday, the Clark County School District postponed its entire slate of athletic events due a rare snowstorm that blanketed much of Southern Nevada.

Thursday's classes were canceled by the district late Wednesday night, but the decision to postpone games wasn't made until early Thursday.

"It's a transportation issue, and at the same time it's a safety issue," said school district assistant director of athletics Pam Sloan. "The employees who operate the buses are not at work today."

Wiped off Thursday's schedule were 10 boys basketball games, seven girls basketball games, nine girls soccer matches (including one that had been rescheduled after it was postponed Monday) and 15 dual meets in wrestling.

They'll be made up at a later date.

"It's a scheduling nightmare," Sloan said. "We won't be able to make up games until after the holiday break."

The Rock Holiday Classic girls basketball tournament at Henderson International has been reduced to a Friday-only event after Thursday's play was canceled.

Still on the slate, are slightly-revised schedules at the Bishop Gorman tournament and the Vegas Invitational at Mountain View.

The schedule for the boys tournament at Gorman has had a few changes, most notably McClymonds (Calif.) pulling out of the tournament because of travel concerns.

Several game times were changed in the tournament.

"The teams have been great," said Gorman coach Grant Rice. "We're getting it all together."

The Vegas Invitational started on schedule, but travel is an issue for Needles and Virgin Valley.

Virgin Valley won't play on Thursday as it can't get a bus to transport the team from Mesquite. Needles, scheduled to play Moapa Valley, in a 2 p.m. game, was on its way, albeit slowly.

Other teams from the area are involved in out-of-state tournaments.

Canyon Springs' boys arrived in Denver at noon for an 8 p.m. game in the Cherry Creek (Colo.) Classic.

The Pioneers were originally scheduled to leave McCarran International Airport on a 10 p.m. Wednesday flight.

"We got the first flight out today," said Canyon Springs coach Daryl Branham. "We sat on the ground in Vegas from 6:30 to 8:30 a.m. before we could take off. We've been sitting in the airport here waiting for the rest of our luggage, which finally came, and now we're headed to the hotel. I'm just glad we're not playing until 8."

Centennial's girls, originally scheduled to fly to Phoenix at 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, also boarded a plane for a 6:30 a.m. flight Thursday — and sat in the plane on the ground until 10 a.m. before taking off.

The Bulldogs arrived for their 1:30 p.m. game against Marlborough (Calif.) with seven minutes remaining in the warm-up ... and won.

"It's been a long 24 hours," said Centennial coach Karen Weitz.