A fine way to get out of the cold and into the warmth is by visiting your local high school gymnasium, indoor swimming pools and tracks and ice hockey arenas.
Here are a slew of venues that can help you forget the temperatures outside.
Boys’ basketball games of interest are plentiful …
Jan. 19 is a busy day on the hardwood.
Christian Brothers Academy, one of the premier programs in all of New Jersey, will bid to thwart an upset bid when it makes the trip to face Manalapan High School for a 4 p.m. showdown.
Just up the road, the battle of Freehold will be contested. Freehold Township High School will make the short journey to Freehold High School to settle bragging rights in the area. The game tips off at 5:15 p.m.
Middletown High School North hosts Red Bank Catholic High School at 5:15 p.m.
Long Branch High School will attempt to be an unfriendly host when Middletown High School South pays a visit at 5:30 p.m.
Colts Neck High School will clash with Howell High School in a 6:30 p.m. game that will be played on Colts Neck’s court.
Red Bank Regional High School will entertain Matawan Regional High School, while Shore Regional High School waits in West Long Branch for Holmdel High School. Both of those games will tip off at 6:30 p.m.
Area showdowns will also be played in the Greater Middlesex Conference.
Saint Joseph High School of Metuchen will take on Piscataway Township High School in a game slated for 7 p.m. in Metuchen.
East Brunswick High School will be home to John P. Stevens High School in another 7 p.m. matchup.
On Jan. 20, Allentown High School will host Princeton High School at 5:30 p.m.
The schedule continues with interesting games on Jan. 21.
At 11:30 a.m., Manalapan will take on Holmdel.
Colts Neck hosts Middletown South and Shore Regional will entertain Ocean Township High School, with both games scheduled for 2 p.m.
To close the day, Old Bridge High School will take on Howell in Howell for a 4 p.m. game.
The girls’ basketball schedule is just as appealing …
Jan. 19 contains a full slate of action, including a collection of rivalry games among Shore Conference teams.
In a 3:45 p.m. game, Howell will be the home team to Colts Neck.
Two games that go off at 5:15 p.m. are Red Bank Regional at Matawan and Middletown South at home against Long Branch.
At 5:30 p.m., the battle of Freehold for girls will take place at Freehold Township, which will serve as the host to Freehold. Also at 5:30 p.m., Red Bank Catholic is home to Middletown North.
At 6 p.m., Shore Regional pays a call to Holmdel.
Rivals will also clash in the Greater Middlesex Conference.
Three featured matchups tipping off at 7 p.m. are Bishop George Ahr High School making a visit to North Brunswick Township High School, J.P. Stevens hosting East Brunswick and Old Bridge paying a call to Perth Amboy High School.
The schedule is light Jan. 20, but one game of interest is the Manalapan at Red Bank matchup that begins at 5:15 p.m.
The action heats up bit more Jan. 21.
At 10 a.m., Manalapan is home to Holmdel.
In the afternoon, South Brunswick entertains Hunterdon Central Regional High School at 1 p.m. and Colts Neck plays at Middletown North at 2 p.m. At 4 p.m., the day wraps up with Shore Regional at home against Ocean Township in West Long Branch.
The action moves on to the mats …
The battle of Freehold is not just being decided on the hardwood. On Jan. 18, Freehold Township takes the short ride to grapple with Freehold at 6 p.m.
At 5 p.m., Middletown South will home to Holmdel, while at 6 p.m., Manalapan wrestles Marlboro. The showdown in Red Bank will start at 6:30 p.m., when Red bank Catholic entertains Red Bank Regional.
Bragging rights among the Greater Middlesex Conference will be the theme in two 7 p.m. meets.
Edison High School is the host to Monroe Township High School, and Woodbridge High School is home to South Brunswick. Somerset County tackles Middlesex County at 7 p.m. when Bridgewater-Raritan High School meets East Brunswick in East Brunswick.
Two quad meets highlight wrestling Jan. 21.
Freehold Township will be the host to Colts Neck, Marlboro and Neptune, while Holmdel has attracted a field of Keyport High School, Matawan and Shore Regional. Both start at 9 a.m.
The state track meets are beginning to sizzle….
From Jan. 19-22, the NJSIAA relay championships will be held for both boys and girls at the John Bennett Indoor Athletic Complex in Toms River.
The run starts off Jan. 19, when Non-Public A and B relays start at 4 p.m. On Jan. 20, the Group III championships will start at 4 p.m.
There will be a doubleheader Jan. 21 when Group IV is run at 9 a.m., followed by the Group I championships at 2 p.m.
The state relays end Jan. 22, when Group II is contested at 9 a.m.
On the ice …
Two of the state’s top programs, Christian Brothers Academy and Seton Hall Preparatory School, will clash Jan. 18 at 5:15 p.m. at the Jersey Shore Arena in Wall.
Jersey Shore Arena will also be the venue Jan. 19, when Freehold skates against Ocean Township at 6:30 p.m.
The game to keep an eye on Jan. 20 is Middletown South vs. Howell at the Howell Ice World. That matchup starts at 6:30 p.m.
Dive into the pools …
Colts Neck and Manalapan will have both the boys’ and girls’ team meets Jan. 18 at 2:30 p.m. at the Freehold YMCA.
On Jan. 19, Christian Brothers Academy meets Freehold in a boys’ meet at 2:30 p.m., which is also at the Freehold YMCA.
Another meet of interest for boys and girls that day will be competed at the Monmouth University pool at 6:30 p.m., when Rumson-Fair Haven Regional High School swims against Ocean Township.
