It's a year like none other. Much of life as we know it has been on hold for two months and that includes high school athletics in Mississippi. The impact on high school athletics began during Spring Break in March when Governor Tate Reeves declared a state of emergency and extended the break by one week. Eventually, one week became the rest of the school year and at this time we cannot be assured that schools will open as scheduled in August. As far as the Mississippi High School Activities Association is concerned, no school means no sports or other activities. Spring sports stopped, with no championships in baseball, softball, tennis, golf and track. Actually, there were two non spring sports also affected. Championships for powerlifting and archery were canceled. Both were scheduled in April to culminate seasons that began in the fall for powerlifting and in January for archery. MHSAA also had to cancel a bass fishing invitational at the Ross Barnett Reservoir that was supposed to culminate the first year of bass fishing as an activity. The Mid South Association of Independent Schools initially held out hope to resume spring sports, but ultimately joined MHSAA in cancelling almost everything. The one exception was the MAIS e-sports championships held in March after schools closed because competitors were able to participant remotely from their homes. Most affected were seniors who were unable to complete their high school careers. They also missed out on the final months of their high school careers, always one of the most exciting times in a young person’s life. No school means no senior prom or other memorable events. Some teams were left wondering what might have happened if 2020 had been a normal spring. McAdams was a contender to win state championships in both boys and girls powerlifting. French Camp (6-0) and Ethel (13-1) were off to fast starts in baseball as the top two teams in 1A according to the website MaxPreps. Kosciusko softball was 7-2 and ranked fourth in 4A with a chance to win a second state title in three years. East Webster softball was able to play only three games, but was unbeaten and fifth ranked in 2A. “The loss of spring sports was difficult in several ways,” said French Camp athletic director Rusty McKnight. “We hated it for our senior student athletes who missed their senior season who had no benefit of knowledge it was to end so abruptly. Financially, we lost revenue needed to support spring sports. Lastly, MHSAA restrictions on training and practices have cost us valuable training time, but also important relationship time with our student athletes.” French Camp will create a virtual athletic awards video that will be posted on the Panther Nation Facebook page. McKnight noted that the effect went beyond sports. Graduation is scheduled for June 13 on the football field. There will be restrictions on the number of attendees and proper social guidelines will be in place. “Lastly, French Camp Academy’s ministry to kids from difficult home situations has been made very difficult to maintain. With our boarding students at home, we are missing the very core of who we are. We have missed the daily contact with our local students as well during the school closure. This spring, we completed a full distance learning program where our kids continued their academics through May. The effort of our teachers, students and parents was amazing.” Choctaw County athletic director Jim Wood said “I personally think that athletics as a whole is about to change across the nation due to COVID – 19. I think people will appreciate our athletic programs even more once we are able to return to competition.” The school held a drive through graduation last week, with a parade through the middle of Ackerman. Seniors received their diplomas and had photos taken on the steps of the new school building. The proceedings were broadcast over the school’s U-tube channel. Wood complimented principal Amber Vowell on the ceremony. “She and her staff did a great job in putting it together.” There will be no spring sports awards at Choctaw County, but seniors received plaques at graduation in lieu of senior nights, Baseball is Grace Christian’s only spring sport. A young team had two wins, two losses and three rainouts when the season came to an end. “We have players who were off to a good start. It’s disappointing for them that the season was stopped,” said first-year coach Charlie Agnew. “I am broken and frustrated. An entire season lost,” headmaster Jason Morgan said. “Nothing we can do about it, but for the guys in our program, our three seniors especially, losing our season is really a rough deal.” The school has sought the input of seniors concerning graduation, but nothing has been decided. “The students stressed that they are willing to wait if it means having more people at their graduation.” Looking to the future, Morgan said “I want to think in the grand scheme of things, it has made our staff better and our students more responsible.”
