Bigger Bumps in the ‘Irregular Season’

When the high school football schedule was first announced in August you would have had to search far and wide to find those who thought the six-game schedule would actually be completed.

But yet here we are getting ready for what is the final weekend of the regular season or as my Shore Spots Network colleague Bob Badders calls it, the irregular season.  However the bumps in the road may be getting bigger at the same time as the state sees a spike in positive COVID tests.

While there is still a pretty full schedule of 20 games this weekend three teams have been sidelined and one of them will have an impact on the NJSIAA postseason schedule which was just announced Thursday.

Red Bank Catholic is going to an all-virtual learning model and has suspended all athletic activities for two weeks.  That includes tonight’s football game against Raritan but even more importantly next weekend’s matchup with Donovan Catholic in what in essence was a semifinal game in what fans and media will call the first Shore Conference Football Tournament.

The Caseys were placed in a postseason “pod” with the Griffins, Wall and Mater Dei Prep, the shore’s top four teams.  RBC was to entertain Donovan next Saturday night, 24 hours after the Crimson Knights host Mater Dei with the winners to meet the weekend of November 20^th.  Now the Shore Conference Football Committee will meet this morning to discuss the matter.  Meanwhile Red Bank Regional and Howell have also cancelled their games for this weekend.

It has been a challenging fall season, just ask Jackson Liberty which has played only two games but does return to the field tonight against rival Jackson Memorial.  However I think most would agree it has gone better than expected although whether we get to complete the entire season remains very much in doubt. As with everything else it’s a day-by-day situation.

Our Jersey Mike’s Game of the Week on the Shore Sports Network will find Toms River North playing host to Donovan Catholic in what could be a very interesting game as the Mariners have won two straight after a slow start to their season.

Tonight’s game can be viewed on shoresportsnetwork.com or on your phone through our free app.