By Terry Boehmker
NKyTribune sports reporter
The Kentucky High School Athletic Association (KHSAA) has postponed the girls and boys state basketball tournaments due to mounting concerns about the coronavirus outbreak.
The first four games of the girls state tournament were played Wednesday at Rupp Arena in Lexington. After the first game on Thursday was completed, the KHSSA announced that the remaining games of the girls state tournament and next week’s boys tournament were being “postponed indefinitely.”
A statement posted on the khsaa.org website said the association will seek options for rescheduling the state tournament games later in the spring, but not until it receives “collaborative approval” from the Governor’s office, Commissioner of Public Health and the Kentucky Department of Education.
The KHSAA originally considered putting restrictions on the number of fans attending the state tournaments and spreading them out in the arena.
“This does not appear to be a wise option at this time and is not in the best interest of the student-athletes and the thousands of individuals who attend these events,” the KHSAA said in its statement. “The KHSAA has to make the health and welfare of the citizens of our great Commonwealth the primary factor in our decision-making process in dealing with this issue.”
The Ryle girls basketball team that won its first-round state tournament game on Wednesday found out about the postponement after the first game on Thursday. The coaches and players returned to their hotel and starting packing to return home.
“They’re upset,” Ryle coach Katie Haitz said of her players reaction to the postponement. “They’re heartbroken, pretty much.”
Ryle is the defending state champion and has two players on the roster — Jaiden Douthitt and Maddie Scherr — who may have their senior season cut short if the state tournament ends up being cancelled. Scherr did not play in Wednesday’s first-round game due to a sprained ankle.
“We kept Maddie out for her health with the injury and she didn’t get to play in her last game possibly,” Haitz said of the talented point guard who was named most valuable player in last year’s state tournament.
The Covington Catholic boys basketball team that won the 9th Region championship to earn a berth in the boys state tournament has seven seniors who were looking forward to ending their careers playing in the Sweet 16 at Rupp Arena.
“For our guys, just like the other 15 teams, it’s a sad day for everybody, but we’ve got to do what’s best for the health and well-being of the students,” said CovCath athletic director Tony Bacigalupo. “This is just tough for our seniors. They’re a great bunch and they’ve been through a lot. We’ll see what happens in the coming weeks.”
The possibility of playing the boys and girls state tournament is evidently still out there. That’s why the KHSAA announced it was suspending the events instead of canceling them.
“Certainly, there’s hope,” Bacigalupo said. “When you have the dream of playing in the state tournament and playing on that (Rupp Arena) floor, you certainly have to hold out hope for that. It’s such a special event.”
The following is a rapidly growing list of high school championship events affected by coronavirus concerns and the announcements from state governing bodies. We will continue to update as the news evolves.