Scorching heat in the Fresno area causes some prep football games to be pushed back

The heat wave scorching the central San Joaquin Valley is affecting the opening week of high school football.

By Wednesday afternoon, several games had been moved up a day or pushed back because of the heat.

Friday’s temperature in Fresno is predicted to be 103 degrees, according to the National Weather Service in Hanford. The weather service said a heat advisory is in effect from 11 p.m. Thursday to 8 p.m. Friday.

Some games will be played on Thursday despite forecast daytime temperatures reaching as high as 105 degrees in the region.

Games moving to Thursday are Minarets at Sierra (7 p.m.) and Riverdale at Tranquillity (7:30 p.m.). The Riverdale-Tranquillity game was moved up a day because of a shortage of referees.

The Friday Hanford at Bullard game is slated to start at 7 p.m., but could be changed to 8 p.m. if the temperature reaches 105 degrees.

Games that were impacted by the heat that moved their game back an hour includes Avenal at McFarland, Madera South at Orosi and Kerman at Chowchilla.

Buchanan will host Bakersfield at 7 p.m. Friday instead of 6:30 p.m.

Here is the latest on start times for each game:

Thursday, Aug. 18

Intersectional

Long Beach Poly at Clovis, 7 p.m.

Nonleague

Minarets at Sierra, 7 p.m.

Hanford West at Woodlake, 7:15 p.m.

Riverdale at Tranquillity, 7:30 p.m.

Tulare Western at El Diamante, 7:30 p.m.

Mariposa County at Yosemite, 7 :30 p.m.

Avenal at McFarland, 8:30 p.m.

Friday, Aug. 19

Nonleague

Bakersfield at Buchanan, 7 p.m.

Hanford at Bullard, 7 p.m. or 8 p.m. (Ratcliffe Stadium)

Clovis East Dinuba, 7 p.m.

Ridgeview at Clovis West, 7 p.m. (Lamonica Stadium)

Kennedy at Edison, 7 p.m. (Sunnyside Stadium)

Immanuel at Garza, 7 p.m. (Koligian Stadium)

Mission Prep at Bakersfield Christian, 7 p.m.

Foothill at Boron, 7 p.m.

Bishop at Lindsay, 7 p.m.

San Luis Obispo at Nipomo, 7 p.m.

Independence at Pioneer Valley, 7 p.m.

Atascadero at Santa Ynez, 7 p.m.

Delano at Mira Monte, 7:15 p.m.

Clovis North at San Joaquin Memorial, 7:30 p.m.

Sanger West at Sanger, 7:30 p.m.

Chavez at Arvin, 7:30 p.m.

Centennial at Redwood, 7:30 p.m. (Mineral King Bowl)

Caruthers at Coalinga, 7:30 p.m.

Fowler at Corcoran, 7:30 p.m.

Santa Maria at East Bakersfield, 7:30 p.m.

Reedley at Firebaugh, 7:30 p.m.

North at Frontier, 7:30 p.m.

Sunnyside at Golden Valley-Bakersfield, 7:30 p.m.

Arroyo Grande at Golden West, 7:30 p.m.

Stockdale at Highland, 7:30 p.m.

Paso Robles at Kingsburg, 7:30 p.m.

Porterville at McLane, 7:30 p.m.

Liberty-Madera Ranchos at Mendota, 7:30 p.m.

Mission Oak at Monache, 7:30 p.m.

Sierra Pacific at Orange Cove, 7:30 p.m.

Farmersville at Parlier, 7:30 p.m.

Lemoore at Selma, 7:30 p.m.

Wasco at South, 7:30 p.m.

Kern Valley at Taft, 7:30 p.m.

Torres at Madera, 7:30 p.m.

Mt. Whitney at Tulare Union, 7:30 p.m.

Shafter at West, 7:30 p.m.

Kerman at Chowchilla, 8 p.m.

Madera South at Orosi, 8 p.m.

Exeter at Strathmore, 8 p.m.

Fresno at Washington Union, 8 p.m.

Intersectional

Palos Verdes at St. Joseph, 6 p.m.

Lompoc at Agoura, 7 p.m.

Tehachapi at Burroughs, 7 p.m.

Cabrillo-Lompoc vs. Nordhoff-Ojai, 7 p.m.

St. Monica at Desert, 7 p.m.

San Marcos at Morro Bay, 7 p.m.

Righetti vs. Bishop Diego, 7 p.m.

Central at Edison-Stockton, 7:15 p.m.

Los Banos at Dos Palos, 7:30 p.m.

California City at Fillmore, 7 p.m.

Los Alamitos at Garces, 7 p.m.

Central Valley Christian at Ripon Christian, 7:30 p.m.

Spanish Springs-Sparks, Nev. at Liberty-Bakersfield, 7:30 p.m.

Littlerock at Rosamond, 7 p.m.

Tonopah-Nevada at Mammoth, 7 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 20

New Designs University Park at Lone Pine, 7 p.m.

Let The Bee know about other changes by emailing agalaviz@fresnobee.com.