Hurricane Isabel, while hundreds of miles out in the Atlantic Ocean, is already wreaking havoc on the Roanoke-Chowan area’s football schedule.

As of an early press time on Wednesday, one school had already postponed Friday’s scheduled game while most of the area’s schools were taking a wait and see attitude.

Both Northampton County public high schools are waiting to see how the weather develops before a decision is made on the annual East versus West game that is scheduled for Friday night.

&uot;We don’t know where the game stands right now,&uot; Diego Hasty, Hurricanes’ skipper said. &uot;What we know right now is that school gets out early today (Wednesday) and we’re out tomorrow.&uot;

Hasty said a decision on the game would come later in the week.

&uot;If we can’t play Friday night, hopefully we will play Monday, but the athletic department at East will make that decision because it is a home game for them,&uot; Hasty said.

While the Roanoke-Chowan area’s marquee match up may or may not be on for Friday, the first home game of the season for Bertie is already on hold.

Bertie skipper Roy Bond said his school has already canceled Friday’s match up with Edenton and rescheduled it for Monday.

&uot;Chowan County has already cancelled school for the next two days,&uot; Bond said. &uot;With that, it seemed the best idea just to go ahead and play the game on Monday night.&uot;

The Northeastern Colonial 2-A/3-A conference opener for both schools will be played at 7:30 p.m. Monday night in Windsor.

Down the road at Lawrence Academy, second-year coach Alan Spencer said he is practicing and planning as if his squad will make the trip to St. David’s Friday night.

&uot;We’re not going to cancel yet, but the chances are we’re not going to play Friday night,&uot; Spencer said.

The coach said he isn’t planning on giving his team a break until the hurricane makes landfall, however.

&uot;We’re practicing until it gets here,&uot; he said. &uot;We’re going ahead until something happens that we can’t.&uot;

The area’s other private school, Northeast Academy, is also waiting for further developments, according to a source inside the athletic department.

As of press time, no decision had been made on Friday’s game. The Eagles are scheduled to host Parrott Academy from Kinston.

Veteran Gates County skipper Clark Harrell said his school is also waiting to make a decision on the Red Barons’ conference opener against Williamston. The coach said a decision would probably be reached sometime on Thursday.

&uot;All we know for sure right now is that school will be out at 1 o’clock today,&uot; Harrell said. &uot;The rest we’ll just have to see about.&uot;

Asked if he was preparing as if his team would host Williamston Friday, Harrell said, &uot;What else can we do?&uot;

In Hertford County, HCHS Athletic Director Charles Simmons said his school hopes to make a decision about their trip to Elizabeth City soon.

&uot;It seems almost impossible that we will play at Northeastern Friday unless something changes dramatically in the next 48 hours,&uot; Simmons said. &uot;We’ll talk with Eric (McDaniels, Northeastern Athletic Director) today and reach a decision then.&uot;

Simmons said his school hopes to play the game Monday night, but that Northeastern will have the final say in when the game is made up.