Winter high school sports looking unlikely

Monday evening, Governor Steve Sisolak extended Nevada’s COVID-19 health and safety restrictions – which he has called a ‘statewide pause’ – another 30 days, pushing winter sports to the brink of not having organized competition this season.

Sisolak’s Directive 034 doesn’t allow for contact or competition in high school basketball or wrestling (or football).

The NIAA didn’t have any updates to offer Tuesday morning, following the Governor’s announcement.

“Your friends on the NIAA’s office staff are still waiting to learn from the governor’s office what, exactly, the extended pause means for the conducting of high school basketball, wrestling and football … the three sports currently on the ‘no play’ list,” said NIAA assistant director Donnie Nelson in an e-mail. “I anticipate our office will produce NIAA Update 20 as soon as we have more information about those three sports in particular.”

The NIAA has previously stated each sports season and it’s corresponding six-week schedule were set in stone and would be hard-capped at specific dates, regardless of the sport being able to play or not.

Winter sports are slated to end February 20.

Additional conflicts

With the Governor extending Nevada’s statewide pause another 30 days, winter sports would be left with approximately nine days to conduct any competition, assuming that pause runs 30 days from when it was announced on Monday, Jan. 11 to Feb. 11.

Additionally, COVID deaths in the Quad-Counties (Carson City, Douglas County, Lyon County and Storey County) region have skyrocketed since Dec. 1.

The 45^th COVID-related death in the Quad-Counties occurred on Dec. 1.

As of January 11, COVID-19 had caused 152 deaths in the Quad-Counties region, meaning 70 percent of the COVID-related deaths in the area have occurred since Dec. 1.

Sisolak added Monday in his press conference that the state hasn’t seen the full impact of the Christmas and New Year’s celebrations and expects to see an increase in infections in the coming weeks.