Due to fears surrounding the COVID-19 virus, the MIAA has decided to cancel the remainder of its state tournament games and push the start of spring sports back to March 30 at the earliest. The MIAA Board of Directors held three votes on Thursday to make the decision.
The three votes that were held by the Board of Directors were: 1) Whether to cancel the remainder of the MIAA tournament games; 2) Whether to name the remaining teams in the tournament as co-state champions and 3) Whether to push back spring sports until March 30. The 21-member Board voted to cancel the tournament, name the teams co-state champions and push back spring sports.
The cancellation of the MIAA tournament games means that the state basketball and hockey finals will no longer be played in any division. Two local programs in particular that will be affected are the St. Mary’s girls basketball team and the English boys basketball team.
The Spartans were set to play in the Division 3 state final against Hoosac on Saturday at Worcester’s DCU Center. Instead, both teams have been named co-state champions.
“It’s a little disappointing to not get to play the state final, but at the same time it makes you appreciate how far we were able to go and that we were able to get a win on the floor at TD Garden,” said St. Mary’s girls basketball coach Jeff Newhall. “The dream is to play there, and we were able to win on that floor. We’re proud of our team and all that we were able to accomplish.”
The cancellation of English’s Division 1 state final against Springfield Central — also set for Saturday at the DCU Center — might sting a little more. The Bulldogs were vying for their second straight state championship, an achievement that would have placed them among Lynn’s all-time great teams. Instead, the Bulldogs will be co-state champions with Springfield Central.
“It is what it is,” said English coach Antonio Anderson. “At the end of the day, we’re state champions until someone knocks us off and we haven’t been knocked off in two years now. At the same time, we wanted to prove that on the court. We’re all competitors and we wanted to show that we could repeat on the court.”
“Unfortunately, the MIAA was put in a tough spot,” said English Athletic Director Dick Newton. “It all came in like a wave with the school cancellations and everything else, so we had a feeling this is what was coming. It’s a big disappointment for the team, but in the end it doesn’t make us any less proud of them. We’re still going to put up a banner, we’re still going to buy them rings, we’re still going to have a banquet and all the other things we did last year. This is a special group of kids who made history at Lynn English, and we’re going to honor them for it.”
As far as the decision to push back spring sports, Newton knows that it’s an unfortunate but necessary step.
“I understand the schools’ plight and the tough decisions they have to make, but this is going to be tough,” said Newton. “You feel for the seniors, but logistically it’ll be tough to move things around. We always have bad weather in the spring, and if that happens this year and things get pushed back too far then we’ll have real problems.”
According to an email to member schools sent by the MIAA on Thursday, “… after much discussion, the (Board of Directors) decision is to delay the start of the 2020 spring season to March 30, 2020. Respecting the fluidity of this situation, this decision will be revisited prior to March 30 … This decision is based on available information from numerous health agencies and is made in the best interest of our student-athletes, schools and communities.”
Athletic directors from around the area all reacted to the Thursday’s news.
“It’s not ideal, but at the same time you have to be crazy to not understand why the MIAA is doing this,” said Newhall, who also serves as the athletic director at St. Mary’s. “When there’s a situation that arises where we have to take in account the safety of the student-athletes, the coaches, the parents and everyone else, we have to do what’s in the best interest of everybody.”
“As of right now, we’re planning on just pushing everything back two weeks,” said Swampscott Athletic Director Kelly Farley. “We’re going to start looking at the schedules to see what games we can move around and which ones need to be completely rescheduled. Everyone is in the same boat right now, so I’m sure schools will all be cooperative with each other in redoing the new schedules.”
Mike Alongi can be reached at [email protected].