Coaches have decided to revise the District 5-AAA basketball tournament for a second time.
And the decision to close Hamilton County Schools on Thursday, officials have gone to Plan C, which means the tournament is expected to start on Friday with six games.
Unless, that is, classes do not resume on Friday.
So, as it stands now, girls game pitting McMinn County and East Hamilton, Walker Valley and Soddy-Daisy start at 6 p.m. in the East Hamilton Middle School Gym on Friday.
A few feet away in the high school gym, four games are on the schedule, starting at 3 p.m. with the Cleveland and Ooltewah girls. The Ooltewah-McMinn County boys game is set for 4:30, followed by the Cleveland and East Hamilton boys at 6 and Walker Valley and Soddy-Daisy boys at 7:30.
The Saturday, Monday and Tuesday games will be played as originally scheduled.
Should Hamilton County schools be closed Friday – policy dictates that athletic teams cannot play or practice when school is out due to weather – the tournament would begin on Saturday and the Monday and Tuesday schedules would be altered as well.
On Saturday, the action would begin with the McMinn County and East Hamilton girls at noon. That game would be followed by the Walker Valley and Soddy-Daisy girls at 1:30 and Cleveland and Ooltewah girls at 4:30.
The Ooltewah and McMinn County boys would play at 4:30, the Cleveland and East Hamilton boys at 6 and Walker Valley and Soddy-Daisy boys at 7:30.
Four semifinal games – two girls and then two boys – are set for Monday and consolation and championship games would be played on Tuesday. Action on both days would start at 3 p.m.
Both Bradley Central teams drew first-round byes into the semifinal round.
Here is the latest – albeit tentative – weather-plagued schedule should the tournament start Friday:
6 – McMinn County vs. East Hamilton, middle school gym
7:30 – Walker Valley girls vs. Soddy-Daisy, middle school gym
3 – Cleveland girls vs. Ooltewah, high school gym
4:30 – Ooltewah boys vs. McMinn County, high school gym
6 – Cleveland boys vs. East Hamilton
7:30 – Walker Valley boys vs. Soddy-Daisy
Saturday
3 – McMinn-East Hamilton girls winner vs. Walker Valley-Soddy-Daisy
4:30 – Bradley Central girls vs. Cleveland-Ooltewah winner
6 – Ooltewah-McMinn boys winner vs. Cleveland-East Hamilton winner
7:30 – Bradley Central boys vs. Walker Valley-Soddy-Daisy winner
Monday
6 – Girls consolation game
7:30 – Girls championship game
Tuesday
6 – Boys consolation game
7:30 – Boys championship game
(E-mail Larry Fleming at larryfleming44@gmail.com. Be assured that Fleming is as confused as everyone else at this point.)