Bryan Station boys’ team returns to high school basketball landscape stung by COVID-19
Bryan Station’s boys’ basketball players know how precarious this COVID-19 season is.
With nearly a third of the state’s high school basketball games canceled this week because of coronavirus issues, the Defenders returned to play on Friday after a two-week shutdown, and they did so still without their head coach and one of their top players, both still sidelined by virus guidelines.
If there was some rust, Bryan Station hid it well in a 78-68 win over Bourbon County the Defenders largely controlled throughout.
“Once we get in the gym, we have to take advantage, because that can be our last practice or our last game,” said junior guard J’Marious Lindsay after he scored a game-high 27 points. “We just have to take advantage of it.”
Coach Nimbo Hammons remained in isolation protocol and is due back with the team next week. Also expected to return Tuesday is senior guard Myles Morones, a four-year starter, who is finishing out the final days of his return-to-play period after contracting the virus.
The strength of Friday’s win over Bourbon County, a game Bryan Station led by more than 20 points at times, showed the Defenders have plenty of weapons and should only get better. Senior Trenton Grundy scored 15 points, including a pair of threes in a huge second quarter for the Defenders in which they outscored Bourbon 31-9.
“I think it showed us that if a person isn’t there, other people can fill in and keep playing and get the win,” Lindsay said. “We can be really dangerous if we have everybody and everybody comes to play. I’m pretty sure nobody in the city can stop us if we all come to play.”
Bryan Station had only been back together for a couple of practices before Friday’s game due to observing its isolation period. Coaches stayed in contact with the team via Zoom. Assistant coach Derek Robinson, who led the team Friday, said having a veteran team that includes seven seniors and four juniors who’ve been playing together for years has helped the Defenders deal with the interruptions.
“Coach Hammons has put in a nice culture and philosophy of what we want to do on and off the court,” Robinson said. “We’ve got some mature veteran guys. … so, that really helps me when you’ve got some coachable kids willing to do whatever it takes to win for each other.”
COVID impact
As each week of the basketball season has progressed, the Kentucky High School Athletic Association is seeing more and more of its boys’ and girls’ games canceled due to COVID-19 with more than 31 percent removed from the schedule this week.
Several schools in Fayette County have been among the dozens shut down across the state because of COVID-19 issues. Any contact among players with the virus means a team must isolate and halt practices and games for 10 days. Additionally, a player contracting the virus must sit out a period of 21 days that includes 10 days of isolation, four days for medical evaluation and six days to make sure they’re recovered and ready to play.
The KHSAA postponed the start of the season until Jan. 4. Some school districts, like Jefferson County Public Schools, waited longer. Jefferson’s teams only began full practices this week and won’t begin play until Feb. 1.
The KHSAA has posted a continually updated compilation of COVID-19 cancellations on its website showing more than 16 percent of its games were canceled in Week 1, and nearly 25 percent of its games were called off in Week 2.
“There are those who would say that 25% of games being canceled, ‘Oh my gosh this is terrible.’ Well, in reality, that’s a message that your guidance has been used,” KHSAA Commissioner Julian Tackett told the association’s Board of Control at its regularly scheduled meeting on Thursday. “While it may show that there’s been cancellations it’s also showing that people are going by your recommendations and canceling as needed. So it’s a good balance for us, and it’s good validity to what we’re doing.”
While the spread of the virus and its impact on teams has worsened, Tackett told the board Thursday the KHSAA has not had a report of player-to-player transmission stemming from a game dating from fall football to this week.
After a game at Lexington Catholic on Tuesday involving the No. 2 Knights and Henry Clay’s boys’ team, a referee was reported to have contracted COVID-19.
Henry Clay subsequently isolated its team. Lexington Catholic conducted contact tracing and worked with the health department to determine its players and coaches were not within enough proximity to the infected referee to shut down, and it has continued to play.
Fayette County Public Schools’ active teams have since canceled two of their upcoming games against Lexington Catholic as an apparent precaution, but FCPS officials have not commented on the move.
Fayette County school officials also have been asked to comment on the current status of FCPS teams, but have not responded. Here’s a look at the team shutdowns, so far, according to their KHSAA schedules.
Paul Laurence Dunbar boys: A COVID issue was discovered following its game against Frederick Douglass on Jan. 12. Scheduled to return to play Jan. 26.
Frederick Douglass boys: Shut down after Dunbar game on Jan. 12. Scheduled to return to play Jan. 23.
Bryan Station boys: Returned to play Friday after two-week isolation period. Has played only three games.
Henry Clay boys: Shut down since Jan. 19. Next scheduled game is Jan. 29, but the status of that game is uncertain.
Lafayette and Tates Creek boys: No COVID issues.
Henry Clay girls: Shut down at start of season and again this week. Has played two games.
Bryan Station girls: Shut down since Jan. 9 game. Set to return to action Jan. 25. Has played three games.
Frederick Douglass girls: Have not played since Jan. 15. Status of return uncertain.
Tates Creek girls: Have not played since Jan. 18. Status of return uncertain.
Lafayette girls: Canceled first game of season because of COVID issue but have played since.
Dunbar girls: No COVID issues.
Among Lexington private schools:
▪ Sayre has suspended all upper school activities until Jan. 31. Its boys’ team has not played since its All “A” Classic game against Lexington Christian on Jan. 16. Its girls’ team has not played since Jan. 18.
▪ Lexington Catholic’s and Lexington Christian’s boys’ and girls’ teams have remained active since Jan. 4.
Despite the worsening COVID-19 rates, school districts largely have decided to allow winter sports, including basketball and wrestling, to continue in conditions that many had canceled regular season fall sports events, like football, soccer and volleyball. Most school districts allowed their fall teams to play in their postseasons. Recent cancellations are more due to actual cases and contacts than objections to playing in a community with a “red” status.
All but five of Kentucky’s 120 counties were rated as “critical” or “red” counties as of Friday, according to the state’s COVID-19 incidence rate map.
State health and government officials have issued guidelines and recommendations about play, but they have stopped short of halting sports events as they did in the spring when the state boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments and all spring sports were shut down.
Tackett confirmed on Thursday that the state has approved a plan to allow the All “A” Classic to hold its boys’ and girls’ basketball tournaments in February at Eastern Kentucky University’s McBrayer Arena with limited attendance.
The KHSAA’s boys’ and girls’ state tournaments have been pushed back to late March and early April.
This story was originally published January 23, 2021 at 12:18 PM.
