So here we sit. It is May 10 and we have hundreds of very, very tired teenage athletes.

The AHSAA made a decision it viewed as acting in the best interest of its constituents when it decided to postpone all of its events due to possible cases of Swine Flu in Huntsville.

Tuesday, play resumed. Area softball tournaments got underway and third round baseball playoff series finally had their respective first pitches.

Demopolis softball and Sweet Water baseball could be counted among the lucky ones.

Sweet Water shut down Talladega County Central in two games, punched its ticket to the semi-finals and took Wednesday and Thursday to practice and relax.

Meanwhile, Demopolis softball played its area tournament all day and eventually emerged as champion. Again, ticket punched to Friday’s regional tournament, the DHS girls had Wednesday and Thursday to rest and practice.

Other teams around the state were not so fortunate.

There was Sweet Water’s eventual third round opponent Brantley, who did not close out its series against J.U. Blacksher Tuesday and endured a rainout Wednesday before ultimately winning game three on Thursday and getting no rest before facing the ‘Dawgs Friday.

Still worse is the ordeal through which Thomasville and Jackson have gone over the last several days.

Their Tuesday-Wednesday series ran into Friday after numerous rain delays, leaving which ever team was to emerge at a decided disadvantage as its state title quest required it to win a semi-final series over the weekend before heading to Montgomery for a Tuesday-Wednesday championship round matchup.

It is no overstatement to say that, in this instance, the AHSAA’s caution has compromised the integrity of its cause.