“For Patrick County or Martinsville to get in, basically we’re going to have to go 5-1 to get into the playoffs. So that’s a tall order.

“It’s not fair, but this was about our best way to get the kids to play.”

The set up for postseason play would allow for eight teams to make the playoffs in every other sport except football. Martinsville and PC’s region, Region 2C, has 14 teams in all.

“You’re going to have to win some district games, and we’ve got to win in a much bigger district than they do,” Golding said. “And the sad thing is, you take basketball for instance, we could go through and be .500 and not make the playoffs and probably be the best team in the region, but it’s just the way it’s set up this year. We’re going to have to win in the district. Winning definitely becomes more important this year if you want to make postseason play… You’ve got to come in ready. You’re going to have to come in ready to play.”

– Magna Vista AD John Gibbs said the ADs in the PD had met and made plans for the schedules even before Thursday’s final announcement. He said teams will largely play the same schedules as originally planned, just backed up to match the dates finalized this week.

Those dates aren’t without their challenges. During the basketball season, Harris pointed out, teams will play pretty much three games a week for six weeks, and that is barring there are no delays due to winter weather.