According to the original schedules, Tuesday was to be the day that the 2020-2021 Po-Hi basketball and wrestling seasons officially got underway. But like it has with so many other things this year, COVID-19 has reared its ugly head and intervened.

Last week, due to School Board action, Ponca City Public Schools went to distance learning because of an increasing number of COVID-19 cases and quarantines in the area. In the process, all extracurricular activities including practices were cancelled.

The Wildcat and Lady Cats varsity basketball teams were scheduled to open Tuesday with home games with Putnam City West. The wrestling varsity was set to travel to Edmond for a dual with the Edmond Memorial Bulldogs.

The Ponca City swim team has had several meets so far this year, but those that had been scheduled for December were cancelled as well.

The PCPS School Board took the action, but reserved the right to re-evaluate the situation through the alloted time.

Basketball games that will be cancelled in addition to Tuesday’s contest with Putnam West, include Dec. 4 games at Enid, Dec. 8 at Putnam City North, and a Dec. 15 home game with Choctaw. In addition, the girls’ varsity participation in a tournament at Bixby set for Dec. 10-12 at Bixby has been cancelled and the varsity boys appearance in a tournament at Cleveland also will be cancelled.

As it stands now, the first games of the year for both boys and girls varsity will be in a tournament at Ada Jan. 7-9. The first home games would be Jan. 15 against Midwest City.

Besides the wrestling dual at Edmond Memorial, wrestling dates with Blackwell on Dec. 8, participation in the Perry Tournament on Dec. 11-12, and at Enid Dec. 15 will be cancelled.

The first event after the cancellations is a home dual against Owasso on Jan. 7.

A swimming dual with Yukon at the Ponca City RecPlex scheduled for Tuesday has been cancelled. Also cancelled was the swimming teams participation in the Yukon Invitational at Edmond Dec. 12 and a home dual with Piedmond Dec. 15. The next dual now on the schedule is at Oologah Jan. 5.

The basketball cancellations bring up sad memories of the cancellation of the Class 6A girls basketball tournament in March. Ponca City’s Lady Cats had qualified for the state meet and learned of the cancellation in the bus on the way to play the opening round game with Deer Creek.