Empire Football League

MONROE -- The Empire Football League's semifinal playoff game between the Watertown Red and Black and the Orange County Bulldogs was postponed Saturday due to unplayable field conditions, said Watertown head coach George Ashcraft.

Ashcraft said that he hopes the EFL will make a decision sometime today on when the game will be played.

The Red and Black were contacted at about 12:30 p.m. Saturday and informed that the Bulldogs' home field, Smith Clove Park, was under water following heavy rains in the Poughkeepsie area.

Facing an approximately 51/2-hour trip, the Red and Black had already departed Watertown by the time they got the news. They were informed that the game would be played on an alternate, artificial turf field, but that was later deemed unplayable, too.

If the game is rescheduled for next weekend, the EFL would be forced to reschedule the league championship game, which is set to be played on Oct. 15.

No. 2 Orange County (9-1) and No. 3 Watertown (9-4) met in Monroe on Aug. 6, with the Bulldogs coming away with a 38-10 victory.

Watertown or Orange County will move on to play the Albany Metro Mallers, who defeated the Lake City Stars 23-0 in the other semifinal game at Albany. When it is played, the championship game will be hosted by the Metro Mallers.

Copyright 2005. Watertown Daily Times, Inc., Watertown, NY. All rights reserved.