Ciarra Lorusso practices her crossover dribble. Photos by William Dimmit.
The speedy Ella Natal drives to the basket.
Layla Green leads the team through drills.
Sophomore Olivia Shippee
On Wednesday afternoon, Feb. 3, the Monroe-Woodbury Varsity Girls Basketball team took to the court at the high school in the hopes of beginning the defense of its Section 9 championship.
After the months of delay prompted by the pandemic, the sound of the basketballs and the sneakers on the hardwood gave the impression that everything was finally back to normal.
But once inside the gym, reality sets in, all the players and coaches have masks on and and work very hard at staying at least six feet apart.
There are no contact drills as Head Coach Dave Powers and Assistant Coach Bill Earl put the team through dribbling and shooting drills while trying to keep everybody as safe as possible.
No competition with other schools
Later that same day, Schools Superintendent Elsie Rodriguez announced that district leaders, in agreement with the M-W Board of Education, have decided that Monroe-Woodbury’s student-athletes and coaches will participating in high risk sports (basketball, cheerleading, ice hockey and wrestling) at both the middle school and high school levels, but will not compete with other schools at this time.
The Monroe-Woodbury Board of Education was expected to pass a resolution regarding the winter season on Wednesday, Feb. 10.
The New York State Public High School Athletic Association (NYSPHSAA) held its quarterly meeting of the Executive Committee on Wednesday, Feb. 3, via Zoom teleconference.
The Committee voted on several key proposals important to the Association’s 787-member schools.
The four NYSPHSAA officers, acting on input from the 11 sections, section executive directors and member schools, announced the cancellation of the 2021 NYSPHSAA Spring State Championships in light of continuing concerns about COVID-19.
The sports include lacrosse, softball, baseball and track and track and field. State championships for winter sports and the fall sports season II had already been canceled, the same tournaments in the fall and spring of 2020.
The decision, the association said, will allow sections more time to schedule and conduct regular season contests.
- William Dimmit