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The unrelenting rain has turned area athletics schedules just as muddy as the fields on which they were to be played. Two first-round football playoff games scheduled for tonight have been postponed — Smith at Dudley (6 p.m. Saturday), Western Guilford at Mount Tabor (7:30 p.m. Saturday) and Eastern Guilford at South Johnston (7 p.m. Saturday). Both Guilford County boys soccer teams left in the playoffs were scheduled to play Thursday — Page at home against Charlotte Ardrey Kell and Grimsley on the road at Charlotte Myers Park — but have been moved back to Saturday.

Hopefully.

With rain forecasted into today, there likely won't be a dry field around for days.

"It's going to be pretty ugly whenever we play," Eastern athletics director Randall Hackett said of Saturday night's football matchup.

The weather also has affected practice schedules, as Page's football and soccer teams have been forced to work out indoors since Tuesday. Athletics director Rusty Lee was calling around the county Thursday afternoon trying to find an available field -- preferably artificial turf -- for the Page soccer game, since the grass at Marion Kirby Stadium will likely be torn to shreds by football cleats tonight. Lee said he didn't foresee a scenario where the Pirates football game would be postponed.

"(Football) is a straight-ahead sport, typically," Lee said. "The biggest thing is that the ball doesn't roll on the ground. In soccer, mud affects the ball a little more."

VIKINGS MOVING ON: Brittany Northcutt made the most of her one season in Guilford County. The powerful 6-foot-2 outside hitter, who moved to Northwest Guilford this season from her native Georgia, signed a letter of intent with Georgia on Thursday, a decision she made last April.

"I'm anxious," Northcutt said. "I feel like I'm ready."

Northcutt, who will have a chance to play for the Bulldogs as a freshman, helped lead Northwest to a 30-5 record this season and yet another conference championship. She's one of three Vikings seniors planning to play in college — setter Dana Sandknop is considering Greensboro College, while libero Rachel Lindsey is headed to Virginia Tech.

Lindsey had a protective boot removed from her left foot Wednesday after suffering a fracture two weeks ago while warming up before Northwest's second-round playoff game against Charlotte Ardrey Kell. Lindsey said she heard a crack when she landed and hobbled over to the trainer, who gave her the likely diagnosis.

"I've got to play," Lindsey said. "It's states, and my (college) coach is here, and it's Ardrey Kell. Tape it up."

Hopped up on adrenaline, Lindsey said she played arguably her best match of the season, but it was for naught as the Vikings fell in four sets to end her high school career.

"Then it really started to hurt," she said.

A fourth Viking signed a letter of intent Thursday after reigning Metro 4-A Conference basketball player of the year Melisa Foures committed to Belmont Abbey. The 6-foot senior, who averaged 13.3 points, 9.7 rebounds and 3.0 steals a game last season, plays guard on a travel team but has served as Northwest's center since she's among the tallest girls in the program. She said she'll play every position but point guard at Belmont Abbey, which has about two-thirds the student population of Northwest.

"I'll have options," Foures said. "I'll be able to do what I want, but in a structured setting."

PIZZA HUT INVITATIONAL STAYS STRONG: A year after drawing more than 15,000 fans and raising a record $96,000 for its eight participating high schools, the Pizza Hut Invitational basketball tournament continues to hum along financially, announcing this week that the title sponsor has signed on for another five years and that NewBridge Bank has joined as a presenting sponsor. This year's tournament, which will feature the boys and girls teams from Greensboro Day, Grimsley, Northeast Guilford, Northwest Guilford, Northern Guilford, Page, Ragsdale and Smith is Dec. 31 through Jan. 2.

Contact Tom Keller at 373-7034 or tom.keller@news-record.com