FRANKLIN—Concerns about Hurricane Earl prompted Franklin High School to change its home varsity football game against Northampton to 7 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 1, from Thursday, Sept. 2.

“A torrential kind of thing (is expected) to move through,” said Athletic Director Mona Sumblin. “It’s not typical to change football games (this early). We generally don’t do it until game day, but with the weather forecast . . .”

The National Weather Service in Wakefield is calling for 92 degrees on Wednesday with no chance of rain. The chance of rain increases to 30 to 40 percent with 15 mph to 20 mph winds on Thursday evening into Friday morning, said meteorologist Dan Proch.

Proch predicts the eye of Hurricane Earl will pass 180 to 200 miles off the Virginia coast.

“Tropical force winds are reaching 180 miles from the eye right now,” Proch said. “If the hurricane stays on track, there won’t be that much effect in the area.”

Sumblin said the school also changed the time of the varsity football game to accommodate Thursday evening’s open house at the high school.

Friday night’s games for Southampton and Windsor high schools and Tidewater and Isle of Wight academies remained scheduled.

Southampton Academy Athletic Director Dale Marks is waiting to hear back from the athletic director at Broadwater Academy about Saturday’s 1 p.m. road game.

“We do not have any changes at this point,” Marks said. “I’ve got a call to the AD over at Broadwater Academy, but have not heard anything.”