It was business as usual early last week for high school lacrosse programs in the South. Games were played last Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday as scheduled, and many top teams in the region had big out-of-state contests planned for the weekend.

Much has changed since.

After the NBA, NHL and MLS suspended their seasons and the NCAA wiped out its remaining championships for the academic year, high schools and state athletic associations had to make gut-wrenching decisions.

At this point, the vast majority of contests in the South have been postponed because of the spread of coronavirus. And with the CDC’s recommendation on Sunday that all events involving 50 or more people be suspended for the next eight weeks, it is unknown when, or even if, players in the South will rejoin their teams.

Most states in the region suspended interscholastic play. For some teams, the announcement came at the league or district level. But with nearly every school closed, most — if not all — games in the region, have been suspended for the next two weeks.

In Georgia, the decision was made to postpone games starting March 14 until further notice. An update on when play may resume will come on March 27.

“We hate to have to make this call, but we must do what is in the best interest of our student-athletes and fans,” said Dr. Robin Hines, executive director of the Georgia High School Association.

The North Carolina High School Athletic Association called off games in the Tar Heel State through April 6.

“As much as we would like this opportunity for our student-athletes, coaches and their communities, we know that ultimately any decision we make must err on the side of caution,” commissioner Que Tucker said.

Only a handful of games were played last weekend in the South, none involving teams ranked in last week’s regional top 10s. Several games were played in South Carolina on Saturday, but on Sunday, all remaining contests in March were postponed after the governor closed all schools.

In Florida, Gov. Ron DeSantis closed all schools until March 30.

The top-ranked boys’ team in the South, Ponte Vedra (Fla.), won on back-to-back nights last Monday and Tuesday, but by the end of the week, Saturday’s contest against Bishop Moore (Fla.) had been canceled.

Bishop Moore head coach Kyle Hofstaedter said players are not allowed to participate in official practices during the hiatus, but he was optimistic early Sunday that play could resume later in the month.

For now, the Hornets will continue preparing as though the season is simply on pause.

“I know the boys are holding small group sessions by themselves running drills (shooting, footwork, dodging, conditioning, etc.),” he said Sunday. “Unfortunately, that is the most we can do on the field right now. I am still breaking down film of past games and future opponents and sending them to the team for review. Luckily with Hudl and Qwikcuts, we can monitor who is watching and for how long.”

The situation at Christ School in North Carolina is unique. The boarding school was on spring break last week, and coach Benjie Colberg said students did not return afterward, meaning his team could not practice even if it wanted to.

“The boys will be working out at their homes, doing a variety of lacrosse drills and strength and conditioning workouts,” Colberg said. “They will be checking in with me weekly. We’re holding out hope that we can compete as a group again.”

The possibility that teams have played their final game of the year — and that seniors will not get the opportunity to participate again in high school athletics — suddenly became a distinct possibility when the CDC recommended canceling all events involving 50 or more participants through the second week of May.

Playoffs in the South typically begin in April and finish by early May.

“It’s especially hard for the seniors,” said Tim Godby, girls head coach at Milton (Ga.). “We are hopeful we will get to resume our season, but with the recent media reports, it is not looking good. The CDC recommending eight weeks is not looking good for our season.”