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How weird did it feel to have a Friday night without a full slate of high school games? Only strange in that it took so long for the weather to become a factor this winter.

Yet even that first serious schedule-altering snowstorm did not completely shut down things. Between tournaments and a couple of make-ups, the week still got a full resolution, except for indoor track, which will have two meets in five nights at SRC Arena, for those so inclined.

As the MVITA schedule wrapped up at Colgate, Clinton swept both sides of Division II at the association championships on Tuesday, while Rome Free Academy's boys and Cazenovia's girls rolled to titles in Division I.

Before the snows, there was the annual Fulton-Phoenix wrestling showdown, which lived up to the TV hype. The Red Raiders edged the Firebirds 36-34 and, if that wasn't enough, ventured to the Bradshaw Tournament at Canandaigua and won there, too.

Not that other mat powers were quiet. Indian River, gearing up for this week's Section III Dual Meet at C-NS, swept the Spartan Duals at South Jefferson, and Liverpool did the same at Central Square's Duals. A thrilling CNY Tournament at VVS saw Holland Patent beat Camden by a single point, 154-153. General Brown beat 13 others in a tournament in Unatego.

Little changed on the ice, with West Genesee still unbeaten and tops in the state rankings, Rome Free Academy controlling Division I East and Oswego a point ahead of Skaneateles in Division II, with Auburn's pair of wins pushing them into the playoff picture.

Looking to basketball, yes, J-D's boys got humbled a bit by Georgia power Milton in the Burger King Classic in Erie, Pa., but C-NS and CBA won games in Erie, and Cortland won three times in a week, going to 12-1. Think the Purple Tigers are eager for that Jan. 31 visit from the Red Rams?

The other defending state champ, New York Mills, reinforced its Class D domination by pulling away from Oriskany in the second half of last Wednesday's CSC showdown. Bishop Ludden's big week in Class B, started with a Jan. 6 conquest at Bishop Grimes, continued with a tough home win over Skaneateles, though South Jefferson, unbeaten in the Frontier League, really believes it can challenge the OHSL Liberty contenders, which includes Cazenovia.

Good luck trying to figure out Class C. State no. 2-ranked ITC falls to Fabius-Pompey, and Pulaski knocks off Tully. That's four contenders, not to mention powerful Cooperstown, unbeaten Mohawk, and you know defending champ Syracuse Academy of Science isn't done, either.

All eyes in Class AA are already geared to Friday night's Utica Proctor-Henninger rematch. The Raiders won in mid-December, but this version will be on the north side, and beyond them, the AA picture is incredibly muddled.

Once 8-0, F-M has lost back-to-back games. C-NS can't win anything close. Corcoran continues to grind out victories, and Nottingham burst into the picture with wins over the Buccaneers and Northstars. Even Liverpool is coming to life, having surprised Utica-Notre Dame in the finals of the Juggler Classic over the weekend. They've gone 4-3 since Matt Jacob took over as head coach.

But the weekend's biggest games were on the girls side, in Class B. Westhill, though far from sharp, pushed past Bishop Grimes and made it 11-0, though it has to deal with Hannibal and Bishop Ludden this week, which is hardly a respite.

Hosting the Juggler Classic, Utica-Notre Dame beat city rival Proctor and avenged its only defeat of the season to Albertus Magnus, Emily Durr earned 60 combined points in those two games, as she and Westhill's Anna Ross have stamped themselves as the area's top sophomores.

There's a contrast between the Class D muddle, where Oriskany, New York Mills, Hamilton and Poland have taken turns as the hot team (last week it was the Emerald Knights beating the Redskins), and the clarity elsewhere.

Weedsport, reinforcing its status atop Class C, rode Brittany LaForce's 31 points past Fabius-Pompey for the second time this season. And Class A's lone unbeaten, J-D, survived two more scares from ESM and Nottingham to stay unbeaten.

Yet none of them participated in the season's longest game. West Genesee and Liverpool took four overtimes to settle matters on Thursday night, Emily Tripodi forcing the fourth OT with a 3-pointer that all but sank the Warriors from a psychological standpoint.

Not that the biggest team of all was quiet. C-NS managed to avoid the school closings, played Friday in the Hoop Hall Classic at Springfield, Mass. and won big, then went to the Philly suburbs on Sunday and beat the Hill School with Breanna Stewart dropping 44 points. That's all.