While it is good for the ski areas, snowfall is certainly hampering area high school spring sports. Although there’s snow on the ground from Wednesday, Feb. 28, and the calendar still says it’s winter, the spring sports players and coaches say, "phooey on snow and cold weather."

Unfortunately, they might not get their way as more snow was forecast for today, March 3, throughout the Four Corners.

The snow is making it difficult to get in needed preseason workouts. Coaches are finding it difficult to schedule indoor places to practice. The winter sports teams (basketball) still competing have priority for use of the gyms.

Snow was making it tough to practice baseball, especially at higher-elevation places like Dove Creek and Dolores. The ball fields are buried knee-deep in snow right now. Dolores, Dolores County and Mancos do not have all-weather tracks, compounding problems. Panther Stadium has the only all-weather track in the area. Although the snow may not be sticking much on roadways right now, it certainly is on grassy spots. And when snow melts on dirt it makes mud, making it although more difficult to conduct practices. Consequently, girls soccer players are having problems finding places to kick the ball around. Also, wet surfaces makes playing tennis rather difficult as well.

The only spring sport not really bothered by all the inclement weather is swimming. The MCHS boys who are out can swim in the comforts of an indoor pool at the Ute Mountain Recreation Center in Towaoc. However, just traveling to Towaoc every day is an adventure in itself, let alone when roads become slippery.

This weekend some teams had scrimmages scheduled for today. If the storm materializes as expected, those may be canceled. The annual Panther Relays are scheduled March 10. The first baseball games will also be getting under way this coming week. The regular season runs through most of March and all of April with Regionals set for the last weekend of April or early May with State Tournaments slated in mid-May.

The Colorado High School Activities Association’s spring sports teams officially got under way with practices back on Feb. 20. However, snow in the Four Corners area has not let up since that date.

Some boys and girls who are still playing basketball (MCHS boys and girls were involved in Sweet 16 Round of Regionals Friday night, March 2, and Dolores girls and Mancos boys were playing today at Regionals in Grand Junction. According to CHSAA rules and regulations, a competitor must have at least nine practices in a sport in order to begin competing. Many of them will not have those required nine practices in and many top players will miss at least the first meet or games of the season.

Montezuma-Cortez High School competes in boys swimming, baseball, girls tennis, girls soccer, and boys and girls track and field.

MCHS has two new head coaches this year. Monica Plewe takes over as head girls soccer coach, replacing Barb Cullington, who resigned last year after a two-year stint, and Chuck Cotter, who replaces Jeff Bollinger whose teaching contract was not renewed, is the new baseball coach.

Ricky Carver is again coach the Panther female netters. After taking the fall of 1999 off, he returned to coaching the boys last fall. Bob Archibeque is back for another season coaching the boys, while Doug Anderson is back to coach the girls on the artificial track. Mark Knox is guiding the boys swimming team’s fortunes.

Dolores and Dolores County will compete in baseball and boys and girls track, while Mancos will compete in boys and girls track and field only. Everything is status quo at those schools with no new coaching changes.

At Dolores, Mitzi Wallace is heading the boys and girls track program. Jim Everin is back as the diamond coach.

At Dolores County, Kati Banks heads up the boys and girls track and field team while longtime mentor Ken Soper is guiding the Bulldogs’ baseball team.

Mancos has Tim Dunham once again back to guide the boys and girls track and field team.