POULSBO — Poor air quality put a damper on Opening Day for many high school sports in Kitsap County, with a number of games being postponed.
Sept. 5 was supposed to mark the beginning of fall season for girls soccer, boys tennis and boys and girls golf, among other sports, but the smoky, hazy conditions created by wildfires in the Columbia River Gorge, combined with temperatures in the mid-80s, caused several school districts to rescehdule their outdoor games.
While volleyball matches, which are played indoors, remained as scheduled, some or all outdoor games for Bremerton, Central Kitsap, Kingston, Klahowya, North Kitsap, Olympic and South Kitsap were postponed.
As of 3 p.m., boys tennis matches for Bremerton, Klahowya and Olympic were confirmed postponed, as was Central Kitsap’s girls soccer match at Stadium High School in Tacoma and South Kitsap’s golf and girls soccer games.
The Klahowya girls soccer game at Port Angeles is set to go on as planned, due to the better air quality out in Clallam County, according to Athletic Director Todd Winters, as is South Kitsap’s boys tennis match against Gig Harbor.
Nate Andrews, athletic director at Olympic High School, said practices will go on at the discretion of the coach, but student-athletes will be excused if their parents are concerned for their child or children’s health.
“Practices will be pretty light,” Andrews said. “There will not be a lot of cardio going on today. I am leaving it up to the coaches as there isn’t any specific warning that we cannot.”
Games postponed as of 3 p.m.:
- Girls soccer — Central Kitsap at Stadium; Graham-Kapowsin at South Kitsap; Bremerton at Peninsula; Mountlake Terrace at Kingston
- Boys tennis — Sequim at Olympic; Klahowya at North Mason; Bremerton at North Kitsap
- Boys golf — South Kitsap at Sumner
- Girls golf — Sumner at South Kitsap
— Mark Krulish is a reporter for Kitsap News Group. You can reach him at mkrulish@soundpublishing.com.
