Several prep football games postponed because of Saddleridge fire

A fast-moving brush fire in the northern foothills of the San Fernando Valley has forced school closures and postponement of high school football games on Friday night.

Granada Hills Kennedy has postponed its scheduled Valley Mission League game against San Fernando, according to the Los Angeles Unified School District athletics office.

Woodland Hills El Camino Real athletic director Richard Yi confirmed that the Conquistadores’ game at home against Granada Hills also is postponed because of smoke issues. Birmingham has canceled its home game against Cleveland and it won’t be made up, athletic director Rick Prizant said.

It will be up to schools whether to play the game at a later date. El Camino Real is hoping for Monday if the fire is under control and smoke is not an issue.

The Mission Hills Bishop Alemany at L.A. Loyola game has been canceled. Loyola Athletic Director Chris O’Donnell said his school was not interested in playing on Monday. If the game were switched to Saturday, Alemany coach Casey Clausen said he’d be out of town and Loyola has a retreat that day. The school’s two presidents could not come to an agreement. It remains to be seen how the Mission League will handle the failure to play in the league standings.

Other schools in the San Fernando Valley will evaluate the air environment to determine whether games will be played.

Postponed games include Taft-Chatsworth, Poly-North Hollywood, Grant-Chavez, Viewpoint-Campbell Hall, Glendale-Crescenta Valley, Venice-Palisades.

The Chaminade at Bishop Amat game was also postponed and will be played Saturday at 7 p.m. at Bishop Amat. The Brentwood-Oak Park game has been moved to Saturday at noon at Brentwood.

Granada Hills, Kennedy, El Camino Real, Chatwsorth Sierra Canyon and Bishop Alemany all canceled classes on Friday.

A Santa Clarita Valley cross-country invitational scheduled for Saturday has been postponed until Oct. 19.