SPORTS
School Principal; and School Athletic Director.”
A day later, the MPSSAA announced that the championships would be postponed to a date that has yet to be determined. The decision was released hours before Maryland state officials announced the closing of schools for two weeks beginning March 16.
Howard girls basketball, meanwhile, might not get the opportunity to finish off its undefeated season. Head coach Scott Robinson said it was “extremely difficult” to break the news to his team.
“I told the girls that we were 25-0, that we had a tremendous season and that’s how we’ll be remembered,” he said. “In our eyes, we were state champs and we had a perfect season.
“Unfortunately, there are circumstances beyond our control with the virus that things have been canceled. The girls are absolutely devastated. We all were excited to play, as I’m sure the other teams were, too.”
Atholton boys basketball coach Jared Albert started receiving texts while he was out picking up food to bring back to the school for a lunch with the team prior to getting on the bus to head down to College Park for the team’s game against St.
Charles, which was scheduled to tip at 5 p.m. March 12. When he returned to Atholton, Athletics and Activities Manager Mike Senisi filled him in on the details of the situation and a meeting was held with the players shortly after.
“There is nothing that prepares you as a coach to deal with something like this. To address your team with this kind of thing is never easy, but my players’ maturity really showed today,” Albert said. “Honestly, they took it extremely well. I think they understood the magnitude of the situation seeing the Big Ten championship, the NBA and NHL all postponing games and it was almost inevitable that it was going to trickle down to our level.”
The Raiders were getting set to make their first appearance in the boys basketball state semifinals since 2009, having defeated C. Milton Wright, 68-62, in the state quarterfinals on March 7.
Start of spring sports pushed back With schools canceled through March 27, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association released a statement on March 13 regarding possible return dates for athletic contests.
The MPSSAA says all athletic contests are canceled through April 6, which now becomes the first available play date for scheduling consideration. March 20 was originally the first play date.
“There is nothing that prepares you as a coach to deal with something like this. To address your team with this kind of thing is never easy, but my players’ maturity really showed today.”
— Jared Albert, Atholton boys basketball coach Teams are required to cancel team practices until schools are reopened, which is tentatively set for March 30.
Teams are not permitted to practice until they are allowed to do so by their local educational agency.
The MPSSAA also says teams should reconsider games played after April 6 that may include more than 250 people.
HCC men’s basketball withdraws from national tournament On March 11, just three days after winning the Region 20 tournament to advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association DII National Tournament for only the second time in program history, the Howard Community College men’s basketball team was informed that it would not be allowed to participate because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Howard CC suspended all athletic team out-of-state travel until further notice, which includes the basketball program’s upcoming trip to Danville, Illinois for the national tournament. The Dragons were scheduled to leave via bus on March 14.
Members of the team and coaching staff were brought together and addressed by Howard CC Vice President of Student Services Cindy Peterka immediately after practice on March11and made aware of the decision.
A day later, on March 12, the NJCAA announced that the DII tournament was postponed.
Howard CC defeated CCBC Dundalk for the Region 20 tournament title on March 8 by a score of104-85, securing the automatic bid into the national tournament.
The team then found out on two days later that it would be the eighth seed in the 16-team field and face ninth-seeded North Central Missouri in the opening round on Tuesday, March 17.
A day later, the MPSSAA announced that the championships would be postponed to a date that has yet to be determined. The decision was released hours before Maryland state officials announced the closing of schools for two weeks beginning March 16.
Howard girls basketball, meanwhile, might not get the opportunity to finish off its undefeated season. Head coach Scott Robinson said it was “extremely difficult” to break the news to his team.
“I told the girls that we were 25-0, that we had a tremendous season and that’s how we’ll be remembered,” he said. “In our eyes, we were state champs and we had a perfect season.
“Unfortunately, there are circumstances beyond our control with the virus that things have been canceled. The girls are absolutely devastated. We all were excited to play, as I’m sure the other teams were, too.”
Atholton boys basketball coach Jared Albert started receiving texts while he was out picking up food to bring back to the school for a lunch with the team prior to getting on the bus to head down to College Park for the team’s game against St.
Charles, which was scheduled to tip at 5 p.m. March 12. When he returned to Atholton, Athletics and Activities Manager Mike Senisi filled him in on the details of the situation and a meeting was held with the players shortly after.
“There is nothing that prepares you as a coach to deal with something like this. To address your team with this kind of thing is never easy, but my players’ maturity really showed today,” Albert said. “Honestly, they took it extremely well. I think they understood the magnitude of the situation seeing the Big Ten championship, the NBA and NHL all postponing games and it was almost inevitable that it was going to trickle down to our level.”
The Raiders were getting set to make their first appearance in the boys basketball state semifinals since 2009, having defeated C. Milton Wright, 68-62, in the state quarterfinals on March 7.
Start of spring sports pushed back With schools canceled through March 27, the Maryland Public Secondary Schools Athletic Association released a statement on March 13 regarding possible return dates for athletic contests.
The MPSSAA says all athletic contests are canceled through April 6, which now becomes the first available play date for scheduling consideration. March 20 was originally the first play date.
“There is nothing that prepares you as a coach to deal with something like this. To address your team with this kind of thing is never easy, but my players’ maturity really showed today.”
— Jared Albert, Atholton boys basketball coach Teams are required to cancel team practices until schools are reopened, which is tentatively set for March 30.
Teams are not permitted to practice until they are allowed to do so by their local educational agency.
The MPSSAA also says teams should reconsider games played after April 6 that may include more than 250 people.
HCC men’s basketball withdraws from national tournament On March 11, just three days after winning the Region 20 tournament to advance to the National Junior College Athletic Association DII National Tournament for only the second time in program history, the Howard Community College men’s basketball team was informed that it would not be allowed to participate because of concerns about the spread of coronavirus.
Howard CC suspended all athletic team out-of-state travel until further notice, which includes the basketball program’s upcoming trip to Danville, Illinois for the national tournament. The Dragons were scheduled to leave via bus on March 14.
Members of the team and coaching staff were brought together and addressed by Howard CC Vice President of Student Services Cindy Peterka immediately after practice on March11and made aware of the decision.
A day later, on March 12, the NJCAA announced that the DII tournament was postponed.
Howard CC defeated CCBC Dundalk for the Region 20 tournament title on March 8 by a score of104-85, securing the automatic bid into the national tournament.
The team then found out on two days later that it would be the eighth seed in the 16-team field and face ninth-seeded North Central Missouri in the opening round on Tuesday, March 17.
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