Darrell Moody: Football openers in danger because of California fires

I find it interesting that a fire four hours away can have so much affect on residents in Northern Nevada.

So many events in the Carson and Reno area have been canceled because of unsafe air quality, including Carson’s scrimmage on Saturday against Spanish Springs. Everything I’ve been reading about the fire indicates containment isn’t coming any time soon, and that’s scary from a quality of living standpoint alone. I’ve continued to walk a mile or two everyday, but it’s been uncomfortable to say the least. I’ve tried to confine my walking to early morning or late night, thinking the air quality might be better. I know every time I open my car door ashes get in. Very disturbing. I remember covering a 49ers game one year when a fire in the Oakland Hills broke out. As the game and fire progressed I could see ashes float down in front of the press box.

Athletic teams were forced inside on both Thursday and Friday. I know the football team met on Saturday, but I don’t know if they spent any time outside. I would hope not because it was horrible outside. The problem for both football and soccer is there is only so much you can do inside.

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Friday’s season-opening games called off depending on where we’re at in terms of air quality. Schools and the NIAA, if the governing body gets involved, will err on the side of caution. Neither body needs a lawsuit levied against it for playing in unsafe conditions. Blair Roman said he thinks there is only a 1 in 4 chance that the game happens on Friday.

Roman admitted to being concerned having to go onto a season-opening game without the benefit of a scrimmage. Fortunately everybody will be in the same boat because nobody in the Reno-Carson got on the field to scrimmage this weekend.

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And, while we’re on the subject of Carson High football, CHS athletic director Bob Bateman said that Dylan Sawyers has enrolled at Sierra College in Rocklin. Hopefully Sawyers has put the injury bug behind him and has a successful season. Another former CHS grad, Matt Nolan, is redshirting at William Penn for football.

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Don’t you just love the FedEx Cup format? Gary Woodland, who won the Reno-Tahoe Open at Montreux in August, is challenging for the title heading into today’s final round. If he wins the tournament, he can move all the way up from No. 54 into the top-5 which means he would more than likely be around for all four tournaments. Not bad for a guy who was struggling to stay in the top 125 all season. Woodland has always been a good ball striker, but it’s been his improvement on and around the games that have enabled him to make some noise down the stretch.

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One thing I’ve not been consistent on is following up on athletes who are playing at the college level. My plan is to run an Alumni notebook each week for both Dayton and Carson. I need help from parents, though, in case I’ve missed somebody. Please send me a web-site address if you have a son or daughter playing at a junior college or a 4-year school. How much information gets in weekly will depend on how good the schools are about posting stats on their web-sites. And, if you get a chance to watch your son or daughter compete and snap a photo send it to me at sports@nevadaappeal.com.