Schedules set, area basketball teams ready to go

Basketball games will be starting up at a gym near you. Before you go, be sure to know the policies for the admittance of spectators.

Due to IDPH restrictions with a maximum of 50 spectators, the Three Rivers Conference will not be allowing visiting fans at its boys and girls games this season. It will be a home school’s decision on allowing home spectators.

Putnam County Athletic Director Chris Newsome said PC will be having the same policies.

Some schools with smaller gyms, like La Moille, will not be able to have spectators, unable to maintain a 30-feet distance from play per IDPH guidelines.

The games will go on played within each school’s COVID-19 region.

The Three Rivers’ schedules call for home and away games between schools within the same week. The girls will play Mondays and Thursdays with the boys on Tuesdays and Saturdays.

Princeton

The Princeton boys have added a gem of an opener, traveling to Rock Island Friday to play the Rocks. It will be a varsity game only at 7:30 p.m.

“I thought it was cool that (Rock Island) coach (Thom) Sigel reached out to me. That should be fun. The historic gym should be pretty cool to play there,” Smith said.

PHS fans, however, will not be able to attend the game, due to IDPH restrictions.

Friday’s game will also be the first for the Rocks.

The Tigers will travel to Bureau Valley on Tuesday, Feb. 9, and host the Storm three nights later.

The Princeton girls have picked up a new opener Saturday at Putnam County with the sophomores starting at 5 p.m. and varsity at 6:30 p.m. PHS will host Bureau Valley on Monday, Feb. 8 and then travel to BV on Thursday, Feb. 11.

Athletic director Jeff Ohlson said PHS is still finalizing its policy for allowing home spectators.

St. Bede

The Lady Bruins will open the season Friday at Geneseo. Their first home game is Monday, Feb. 8, vs. Kewanee.

The St. Bede boys have picked up an opener at venerable Kingman Gym at Ottawa on Friday, Feb. 5, and will make their home opener on Tuesday, Feb. 9, vs. Kewanee.

The Academy will be allowing up to 50 home fans. Each fan will need a “ticket” to gain entrance and follow some protocol guidelines for temperature, masks, social distancing if not from the same household.

Hall

Hall has picked up season openers with neighbor LaSalle-Peru.

The girls will meet first on Thursday, Feb. 4, with the boys to follow Friday, Feb. 5, both nights at Hall.

The Red Devils’ next games will Tuesday, Feb. 9, at home vs. Newman and Friday, Feb. 12, at Newman.

The Hall and Newman girls will meet the nights before at the same sites.

Bureau Valley

The BV girls will open the season Friday at home vs. Annawan for a F-S/Varsity match-up. The Storm will then travel to Princeton Feb. 9 and host the Tigresses on Feb. 11.

On the boys side, the Storm will have just picked up a new date at Wethersfield on Friday. The Storm will then travel to rival Princeton on Feb. 9 and welcome the Tigers to Storm Cellar on Feb. 12.

Both Storm squads have 10 games scheduled to date.

Athletic director Brad Bickett said BV’s home spectator policy is still to be determined. He anticipates allowing 1-2 parents per team member. He said parents of the F-S players will be asked to leave after their game before varsity parents will be allowed to enter the gymnasium.

LaMoille-Ohio

The pandemic may have delayed the season, but it could not wipe out the Little Ten Conference Tournament. The show will go on for 102 LTC Tournament with each game being hosted by the higher seed rather than having the traditional tournament site, running Feb. 9-13.

The LTC girls tournament is scheduled for Feb. 18-20. L-O will not field a girls team this year due to low numbers, LaMoille Athletic Director Wanda DeLong said.

LaMoille is planning on streaming its home games on its athletics page on Facebook, DeLong said.

DePue

The DePue cagers will be joining the Little Ten Conference, making the move from the Tri-County. They are awaiting their tournament assignments.

Note: Each school’s scheduled are being update on their school’s website at 8to18.com.

Source: The Daily Chronicle