North Cook News

A Park Ridge high school is mulling options for an on-time basketball season after the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) defied Gov. J.B. Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH)'s attempts to put off the season over COVID-19 concerns, a school coach said in a recent statement.

"As many of you are aware, our upcoming 2020-21 basketball season is postponed while the IHSA and IDPH work out their differences," said Tony Lavorato, Maine South High School Head Varsity Basketball coach,  in a statement to the school's parents, players and fans. 

"In the meantime, our district and neighboring districts are meeting with their legal teams to figure out the liability aspect of playing this season," explained the statement. 

Maine South High School Girls Basketball team in February, the 2020 IHSA Regional Champions | twitter.com/MaineSouthAth

Main South does expect a basketball season, when just isn't very clear, Lavorato said in his statement.

"WE WILL HAVE A BASKETBALL SEASON!!!" said the statement, "This season may not start in November, December, or January, but in my heart, I believe we will be allowed to play!"

When word comes down that play will be allowed, the "2020-21 SEASON WILL BE GLORIOUS!" the statement said.

Pritzker, with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health that had just moved basketball from the "medium risk" category to "higher risk" in its winter safety guidelines, announced high school basketball and wrestling in the state would be "on hold."

The day after Pritzker's announcement, IHSA's Board of Directors voted in a special meeting to proceed with the basketball season as scheduled. The board also set schedules for other sports, including "low risk sports" such as swimming and diving, cheerleading, bowling and gymnastics, according to an IHSA announcement.

The IHSA made those decisions following guidance from its Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC) and boys and girls basketball will begin practice on Nov. 26, according to the announcement.

Play can begin "within an Illinois COVID Region or within a conference" on Nov. 30, the ISHA announcement said.

Teams will follow limitations that allow a maximum of 31 games and masks will be worn by players, coaches, and officials during play, according to the IHSA announcement.

"It will become a local school decision to determine if a school will allow their basketball teams to participate following the guidelines developed by the SMAC,"  said the IHSA announcement.

Since the announcement, fewer than 34 high schools are certain their basketball seasons will start this month, according to Chicago Sun-Times sources.

Maine South High School and other district teams are already been preparing for the upcoming season with "contact days" play. Team members play "in masks" and already for weeks have "worked hard, shot thousands of shots and created amazing chemistry," said Lavorato in his statement.

"All equipment has been ordered," the statement said, "Practice schedules have been drafted. Game schedules have been outlined. We reached out to many schools in our COVID region - Winnetka to Harvey - and invited these schools to play on any date Mon-Sat. We want to play anyone, anywhere, at any time."

Main South High School hopes "to schedule as close to 31 games as possible, playing 3, 4, or even 5 times per week." said Lavorato in his statement.

The school also is being realistic about what it can - and cannot - control, said Lavorato.

"Our players and coaching staff can only control what is in our power to control," the statement said, "We can control our attitudes, our work ethic, our focus, and our patience. We will and must maintain a positive approach at all times."