With a limited number of fans allowed in high school gyms for winter season sports due to coronavirus restrictions — or in many cases no fans at all — prep sports enthusiasts may feel left out in the cold.

But, there are ways to watch boys and girls basketball and some of the other Season B sports online. Or, one can also listen in to the radio play-by-play for select games this season.

High schools in Garfield County have arranged with the national high school sports online network, NFHSNetwork.com, to live stream games on a monthly or yearly subscription basis.

“We have the system all set up and should be ready to stream tomorrow night’s games,” Glenwood Springs High School Assistant Athletic Director Jordan DeCrow said.

NFHSNetwork.com offers a yearly all-access subscription for $70, which includes any game or sport across the country that’s part of the network. There’s also a monthly subscription offer for $10.99, which given the usual $5 per-person gate price to get into a game, is a decent option.

While varsity action is under way in the main gym, the sub-varsity games will be webcast live from the auxiliary gym on the GSHS Facebook page, DeCrow said.

KMTS radio is also planning its usual lineup of live-on-the-air and webstreamed broadcasts of select area games (see accompanying schedule of upcoming broadcasts).

Longtime sports announcer Ron Milhorn will be calling the action. But, he’ll be going it alone, as sidekick color commentator Jack Jabbour has been sidelined and in the hospital for the past few weeks with COVID-19.

“Unfortunately, Jack is out of commission,” Milhorn said, adding that will leave him short on some of the game statistics that Jabbour usually keeps track of. “When he’s up to it he might be able to join me again, but until then…”

Because of the earlier start in most cases for the girls games, Milhorn said those games will be streamed at KMTS.com, while the boys games will be live on the air.

While the Roaring Fork Schools (Glenwood Springs, Roaring Fork-Carbondale and Basalt high schools) will not allow fans in the gym for games, Garfield Re-2 Schools (Rifle and Coal Ridge) are allowing up to 50 home fans, primarily parents of players, Coal Ridge boys coach Paul Harvey said.

“It will be home fans only,” he said. “The Western Slope League policy is that no away fans are allowed.”

Roaring Fork High School in Carbondale is also coordinating with NFHSNetwork for streaming of its varsity basketball games. Junior varsity games will be livestreamed on Instagram at #RFHS_RamAthletics, said RFHS Athletic Director Dominic Yoder.

jstroud@postindependent.com