Prep teams turn focus to next week

It was the same old story for nearly every area high school Friday.

Nasty weather postponed every basketball game except for Mooresville vs. West Charlotte, leaving schools looking at a jam-packed final week of the regular season.

Multiple schools will have to play four games next week, including the high probability of a rare Saturday game or two.

Statesville vs. West Iredell was pushed back from Friday to today at West. The junior varsity games will start at 1 p.m.

With conference basketball tournaments slated to start Monday, any games pushed into next week would drastically alter the scheduling.

North Iredell's game Feb. 5 against West Rowan is tentatively scheduled for Saturday, Feb. 13, to end the regular season.

The Raiders also have games next week against West Iredell (Feb. 8), Statesville (Feb. 10) and East Rowan (Feb. 12).

"I'm assuming everybody is in the same boat as we are," North girls coach Tami Ramsey said. "We've missed a lot of games with the weather, but were fortunate in that we got to practice even though we were out of school. I know the girls are ready to get some games in.

"I've never played on Saturday and would prefer never to play on Saturday. The girls are already moaning about maybe playing that day. But it is what it is, and I guess we just have to suck it up."

The other postponed basketball game Friday was South Iredell at Bandys. The Vikings will play at Bandys on Monday.

More changes
In wrestling action, today's North Piedmont Conference tournament is still on. The event is at North Iredell, with weigh-ins tentatively scheduled for 10 a.m.

The I-Meck individual wrestling tournament has been delayed until noon after previously being scheduled for 9 a.m. The event is at Hopewell.

The 4A West and 3A West swimming Regionals, which five county schools will attend, have been pushed back to Feb. 7. The 3A event will get underway around noon while the 4A grouping is scheduled to start swimming around 4 p.m.

Lake Norman's boys basketball team will not play at its scheduled tournament in Virginia today.

Wrestling tournament canceled
South Iredell's wrestling team got some bad news Friday when it learned Catawba County Schools canceled all sporting events Friday and today.

The Catawba Valley Athletic Conference wrestling tournament was scheduled for today at Bunker Hill, a Catawba County school.

The event cannot take place on a Sunday, and it is not feasible to hold it anytime next week due to the 2A dual team wrestling playoffs beginning.

Not having a CVAC tournament costs South wrestlers not only bragging rights for top finishes, but the chance of getting two or three extra matches in against some really good competition.

South Iredell has contacted a few schools — including Statesville — to gauge interest for a four-team duals event sometime next week to get some extra matches.

Middle schools
The Iredell-Statesville schools basketball tournament championship games will take place Monday at South Iredell.

Lakeshore (13-0) will play Brawley (9-4) for the girls championship at 4:15. The boys game will follow, with Brawley (13-0) playing Statesville (8-5).

The middle school wrestling tournament is still on for today, despite the weather. Scheduled for an 11 a.m. start at South Iredell High School, it will crown individual champions in each weight class.

Here are the tournament's top seeds:
85 pounds: Brian Adams, Lakeshore, 9-1; 95: Ryan Cockerham, North, 12-0; 105: R.J. Cloninger, Brawley, 12-0; 114: Dalton Shearer, West, 11-1; 121: Payton Shuford, West, 10-0; 127: Cody Henry, Brawley, 12-0; 132: Bradley Tadlock, Troutman, 10-1; 137: David Ibarra, West, 10-1; 142: Ryan Devlin, Brawley, 12-0; 147: Eddie McGrail, Brawley, 12-0; 154: Alex Crosby, Lakeshore, 11-0; 162: Garrett Harshbarger, North, 11-1; 173: Israel Corder, East, 12-0; 191: Keegan Bustle, West, 11-1; 217: Joseph Bare, West, 12-0; 252: Wayne Wilkins, Statesville, 9-2.