For the second consecutive week the Buchholz football team will play on Monday night.
This past Friday night, the Bobcats and the Gainesville Hurricanes played a little over a quarter before heavy rain led to unplayable field conditions at Citizens Field.
The game was suspended with 10 minutes remaining the second quarter and will be resumed tonight at 6 p.m. with Buchholz leading, 21-7, and the Bobcats with the ball at the GHS 38-yard line.
The game will be broadcast online (audio only) at Mainstreet Daily News beginning at 5:55 p.m.
Buchholz (3-3) is looking to snap a three-game losing streak, which has been against a very difficult schedule.
Their three losses are to teams that are a combined 16-1.
Now they must prepare for two games in five days for the second consecutive week, although this week they will play seven quarters instead of eight.
Their Class 6A-District 3 game at Nease (Ponte Vedra) on Friday, Sept. 27, was postponed due to Hurricane Helene so the two teams played last Monday, Sept. 30.
The Panthers defeated the Bobcats in overtime, 20-17, to drop the Bobcats to 3-3 overall and 0-1 in the district.
Following the suspension of last Friday’s game, Buchholz must play tonight and again on Friday, when they will host Tocoi Creek (St. Augustine) for another district game.
GHS (4-1) is also facing the same scenario this week. After tonight’s game, the Hurricanes will travel to Leesburg (4-1) on Friday, weather permitting, for a key Class 3A-District 5 game.
The four teams in that district (GHS, Leesburg, Ocala Vanguard, and Lecanto, which defeated GHS on 9/13) are a combined 18-5.
Buchholz has won five in a row in the series, including a 35-7 win last year.
Meanwhile, Bronson (0-6) will be at home tonight against Seven Rivers Christian (Lecanto). Their game was also postponed on Sept. 27. Kickoff is at 6 p.m.
Hurricane Milton has already canceled a pair of volleyball games in the area. Marion County Public Schools will close Wednesday and Thursday but all after-school extracurricular activities on Tuesday are also canceled.
If games this Friday such as Bradford (Starke) at Newberry, GHS at Leesburg, and Tocoi Creek at Buchholz are affected because of Hurricane Milton, they will have to be made up as they are district games.
We’ll keep you updated on other cancellations/postponements. Stay safe this week.