Perry coach Daniel Burns called the decision to postpone Friday's home game against Edgren "unfortunate," but said he hoped that everybody would be safe from Typhoon Shanshan. (Dave Ornauer/Stars and Stripes)
CAMP HUMPHREYS, South Korea – Four DODEA-Pacific high school football games and all DODEA-Japan sports competition this weekend were called off due to the approach of Typhoon Shanshan, DODEA-Pacific officials said Wednesday.
“Out of an abundance of caution,” football games involving Yokota at Osan, Kubasaki at Nile C. Kinnick, Humphreys at American School In Japan and Robert D. Edgren and Matthew C. Perry were postponed, DODEA-Pacific athletics coordinator Tom McKinney said by phone Wednesday.
Other events called off include a DODEA-Japan cross country meet Saturday at Tama Hills Recreation Center in Tokyo’s western suburbs.
Tennis and volleyball matches between E.J. King and Edgren at Misawa Air Base and Perry at Zama were also postponed. Seisen’s volleyball match at Yokota on Friday and Saturday’s Kinnick at Christian Academy Japan tennis matches also were called off.
“It’s about safety for the kids,” McKinney said.
Shanshan is forecast to pass just south of Sasebo Naval Base, home to E.J. King, and Perry’s home Marine Corps Air Station Iwakuni late Thursday through Saturday morning, then move toward the Kanto Plain as a tropical storm.
The concern, McKinney said, involved both ground and air transportation for the teams. Some might not be able to travel; others might get stranded if Shanshan hems them in in a particular area.
Kubasaki at Kinnick and Humphreys at ASIJ Division I football games will be moved to the open weekend Oct. 11-12.
As for the Edgren-Perry game, that may be a bit more difficult; while D-I teams play five games each with the makeup weekend just in case, Division II teams each play six games, with no window for makeup games.
“We’re working on makeup dates” for Yokota at Osan and Edgren at Perry, McKinney said.
“It’s unfortunate,” Perry coach Daniel Burns said. “I just hope everyone stays safe during the storm. The guys were amped up and ready to play, but now we get to rest up and turn our attention” to next Friday’s game at Yokota.
