Sauk Valley coaches react to rough news delaying winter sports

Nov. 16 was less than three weeks away.

That was the date initially given by the IHSA in July as the first day of basketball practice on a calendar upended for most sports by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

On Tuesday, coaches learned that Nov. 16 could very well come and go with no basketball.

"It kind of reverts back to where we were earlier in the summer, which takes out quite a bit of what we were able to do before," Dixon boys basketball coach Chris Harmann said. "We'll keep doing what we can do on our end."

AFC girls basketball coach Chris Jahn recognizes that, in terms of the numbers of cases in the area, things have gotten worse.

"The safety of these kids comes first," he said. "Sports is important to them and to try to get things back to normal, but to me, I don't know if we're ready to do that yet. I understand [Governor J.B. Pritzker's] decision and the IHSA says we have to keep kids safe. That's our No. 1 priority."

Newman boys basketball Ray Sharp immediately started thinking about the Comets' senior class when he got word. Newman's roster is full of players like Luke Jungerman, Elias Henkel, Brett Newman, Jake Ackman, Andrew Velasquez, Kade Decker and Nate Neubauer seeing their seniors seasons put on hold.

"Its devastating to our seniors that could lose their final season, but this is bigger than our basketball season," Sharp said. "There are many people that are dying of this terrible virus, with numbers going the direction they're going, it's understandable we have to take measures that reduce the transmission of this virus."

Forreston Athletic Director Kyle Zick said he's still clinging to hope that the seasons happen for the sake of his athletes. He and his coaches have always known a cancellation was possible, but he's done trying to predict what will happen.

"I have no idea," Zick said. "I used to try to think things through but I haven't been right very much."

Zick believes the IHSA is trying to advocate for kids to be able to play sports this winter. Zick has received guidance for programs like music and scholastic bowl this winter, but hasn't yet for basketball or medium-risk activities.

Until more guidance comes down, Zick said Forreston is still planning to go ahead with winter sports and football in the spring.

"It is ever-changing and I'm hopeful it will change for the better," Zick said. "A lot of schools aren't in in-person sessions. We're lucky we are. We're in the minority up here in the northwest."

Oregon Wrestling Coach Kip Crandall was hesitant to comment before the IHSA's Wednesday meeting, but said his kids have been waiting to know one way another. His wrestlers have been doing masked and distanced conditioning with contact not currently allowed.

"That would be disappointing for our guys just as it was for other sports," Crandall said. "Andrew Herbst is a guy that's itching for a chance after placing at state as a sophomore and separating his shoulder last year."

Polo Athletic Director Ted Alston said he sees the "writing on the wall" after Tuesday's news and feels like a postponement is coming.

"It could be pushed to after New Year's," Alston said. "Does everything else get pushed back? It could be a scheduling nightmare. I feel terrible for the kids. I'm starting to see them get demoralized."

With basketball being raised to high-risk, Alston currently finds it hard to see games being played this winter even with possibilities like no fans or players wearing masks or being spaced out on the bench.

Despite Polo having a low number of cases in its area, Alston is skeptical about that factor meaning much when a decision is made.

"Every area has its own levels of COVID-19," Alston said. "I think it'd be hard for the state or IHSA to say people can play and others can't. I think if you're going to do it, do it state-wide. I don't know what the solution is. We wrestle Dakota, and we wrestle Rockford schools. They're in totally different worlds right now."

Some teams had gotten some of their off-season contact days in, getting guys in the gym to get some shots up and get conditioning work in. Newman had four contact days in September.

That is now all on hold.

"We've just been doing a couple days a week in the evenings since Labor Day," Harmann said. "Just getting the guys together and going through some different drills. It's been good for them to get together and do that kind of stuff."

AFC was able to get some of their open gym days in, but with the threat of the increasing coronavirus numbers looming and the possibility that things might have to be called off.

"They really want to play, they really do," Jahn said. "Every single person on this planet right now wants to do other things we can't do. Basketball, compared to some other things, is not as high-[priority] right now."