It has been a recurring theme, game day arrives, and then around midday, you get the message that the game has been called off. That has been what all of our area high school sports teams have had to endure for the last two weeks as severe winter weather coupled with cold temperatures have made it undesirable to get out and go to a game. For Knoxville, the Panthers are one of the few lucky basketball programs that have played in January. Girls Coach Matt Ritchhart tells KNIA/KRLS Sports it is frustrating but the girls are making the most of it in practice.

Ritchhart: “I give credit to our girls, they’ve been really fun in practice. They’ve given good effort and they’ve been receptive to a lot of the different things we’ve been installing in practice and the different options.”

Ritchhart adds they have not necessarily done a lot of physical training as the schedule will pick up starting Monday with at least three games a week for the final three weeks of the season. For the boys, Coach Troy Pearson and his staff have got creative in practice and allowed their guys to play a simulated game this week.

Pearson: “Kids are engaged, one night when a game got canceled, we played a simulated game and divided the team into two groups and refereed it like a real game, so their attention has been good.”

Both Panther teams will have a very busy week upcoming with Monday’s Panthers vs. Cancer night, Tuesday a game against Centerville and then Hall of Fame Induction Night against Eddyville-Blakesburg-Fremont next Friday.