While states like Minnesota and Wyoming “canceled” their state basketball tournaments, presumably not to be made up at any time, South Dakota’s high school activities association left the door open.
In its official release Friday announcing the immediate and indefinite postponement of all state basketball tournaments due to safety measures taken to avoid further outbreak of the coronavirus, the SDHSAA included near the end:
“The safety of everyone involved is our foremost concern, followed by exploring all options to provide the student-athlete with the opportunity to finish their season.”
That last phrase left hundreds of players and coaches all over the state — including several who spoke on KWSN’s Saturday morning coaches show — hopeful that at some point their teams will get to compete for the ultimate prize after earning their way in to the event Brandon Valley boys coach Brent Deckert called in a Friday interview with KWSN “my Christmas.”
But a fellow veteran coach in Sioux Falls is pessimistic, or as he called himself several times in an interview with KWSN on Saturday morning, “realistic,” and he told his players as much during their emotional Friday team meeting after the SDHSAA shut down the tourney, five days before the Knights would have taken on west side city rival Roosevelt in this Thursday’s Class AA boys quarterfinals in Sioux Falls.
“I said, ‘guys, I don’t see it. I don’t see how this is going to work out to ever play it again,’” O’Gorman boys coach Derek Robey said.
A head coach for 35 years in both boys and girls hoops — the last 14 years at O’Gorman — Robey has guided the Knight boys to six state chamionships. He’s “keeping my fingers crossed” for them getting a chance to make a run at a seventh, but is resigned to it likely not happening.
“I get it, it was postponed, but I’m going to be realistic with you,” Robey told his team. “This might be the last time we meet with you as a group, because (with) this thing postponed — and I’m as optimistic as anybody — (but) if we’re sitting out of school for a week or two, and they say you’ll get ample time to practice, well, let’s say they give you another week…
O’Gorman, at the moment, is to be closed for the upcoming week, and perhaps beyond, depending decisions the Sioux Falls Catholic Schools System makes going forward regarding coronavirus outbreak.
“Now, we’re looking three weeks down the road. Now, you’re into a track season, a baseball season, a tennis season, other events, AAU basketball. I said, ‘guys, I’m being realistic with you,’ and I’m being realistic with everybody out there: I’m keeping my fingers crossed that it is postponed, and I’m all for it. I would love to play this. But I’m also realistic, and I don’t see it happening. I really don’t.”
Robey added that once the weather warms up and athletes are in the midst of spring, people are going to be out of the immediate shock of state hoops shutdown.
By then, “I think people realize we’re doing the right thing as a society, as a culture, and we’re going to say, ‘enough is enough,’ let’s move on. Let’s not drag this out.”
Unlike Deckert, who “1000 percent” disagrees with the governor’s mandate and SDHSAA decision to call the games off, Robey is all for it.
“We’re doing the right thing,” Robey said. “If we can save one person’s life for doing this, I mean, perfect. That’s what we’re trying to do, here. There are smarter (people) than you and I making this decision. And, obviously, they know what’s best for our world, for our society, and if we can save lives, that’s what it’s all about. We’re looking out for the safety of humans, not just a basketball tournament. Not just March Madness.
“But again, bottom line, I feel bad for my guys. It was a tough conversation. I’m realistic. But I’m optimistic. Maybe we’ll be able to do it. Maybe you and I are going to talk in three weeks and both be saying, ‘jeez, remember you and I three weeks ago?’
“(But), my personality is, I don’t see this thing unfolding the way way some people think it might.”
For the full Derek Robey interview, click here
For the full Saturday KWSN Coaches Show of interviews with area coaches, click here
