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NATCHEZ — It was just a matter of time before the coronavirus outbreak had finally had an effect on the local high school spring sports season involving both the public and private schools.

Natchez High School head baseball coach said that all of its games that were scheduled for this week — Monday’s junior varsity and varsity home games vs. Vicksburg High School, an MHSAA Region 6-5A varsity doubleheader today at home vs. Forest Hill High School and a JV and varsity match-up on Friday at Forest Hill in Jackson — have all been canceled.

Smith said he didn’t know if any of next week’s games will follow the same fate, but he said he will continue to listen to officials with the Mississippi High School Activities Association.

Craig Beesley, Cathedral High School athletic director and head baseball coach, said that following the guidelines of the Midsouth Association of Independent School, all athletic events that were to take place this week have been canceled.

As for baseball, the Green Wave’s games on Monday at Porter’s Chapel Academy, today’s JV and varsity MAIS District 4-4A games at Brookhaven Academy and Friday’s district varsity doubleheader at home against Brookhaven Academy will not take place.

Neither will the golf team’s match at Wolf Hollow Golf Course in Wesson nor will the track team’s meet at Silliman Institute in Clinton, La. on Thursday. The tennis team’s matches at Duncan Park against Wilkinson County Christian Academy, at Loyd Star on Thursday and at Duncan Park against Parklane Academy on Friday have also been canceled.

“They (MAIS) are going to go on a week-by-week basis,” Beesley said. “They will make an announcement later in the week involving next week.”

Jake Winston, Adams County Christian School first-year head baseball coach, said that all games that were to take place this week — Monday at Amite School Center, today at Parklane, Thursday at Vidalia High School, Friday at home vs. Prairie View Academy and Saturday at WCCA — have been canceled.

ACCS’s track team was also scheduled to participate at the meet at Silliman. The Rebels’ tennis team was supposed to start its season on Wednesday afternoon at the Duncan Park Tennis Courts against Silliman, but those matches have been canceled.

Centreville Academy and Wilkinson County Christian Academy have also had all athletic events scheduled for this week canceled.