Winooski Basketball teams to begin delayed season after go-ahead from Governor

UPDATE 2/1/2021: Vermont hockey and basketball games have been further delayed by the state COVID-19 taskforce. The earliest state officials could clear Vermont schools to return to in-person competition is Feb. 5, according to the Vermont Principals Association.

Winooski High School men’s and women’s basketball teams are preparing to begin a delayed season, with Gov. Phil Scott and state health officials holding off on in-person competitive sports for now. 

Scott announced moving into the state’s COVID-19 re-opening plan’s next step Jan. 21, allowing in-person practices, according to Winooski Athletic Director, Dennis Barcomb. The rest of the state had already been in the re-opening phase since about Jan. 4, which permits “educators, ESP and school administrators [to] meet with students and families, in person and/or remotely, as public health factors and local circumstances allow.”

Winooski’s small population had taken the hit from Chittenden County’s recent COVID surges, and hadn’t been cleared for in-person practice until last Friday. 

“We actually just started our in-person practices today. The rest of the state has been back in effect since January 4th, but [COVID] has kept us remote until classes also returned to in-person,” Barcomb said. 

This meant Winooski’s competitors had a headstart on this season’s trek to a title. The usual transition between seasons starts around Nov. 30, Barcomb said, with Fall sports flowing into Winter sports through the holidays, leaving a routine month’s rest in between. 

Now, with more than three months in between their last outing, Winooski student-athletes have had to work individually to keep their competitive edge from dulling — amounting to a sixth defender on the court this season. 

Penny Ly, a senior and leader on the women’s team, said Winooski’s small population allowed for most of the town’s youth to grow up playing on the same courts together, concocting an incombustible chemistry with one another. 

“Especially with all these girls, it’s such a small town, I pretty much grew up with everybody and I know everybody on my team is thankful to be here,” Ly said. “I’m just happy to be able to play and whatever happens, happens.” 

Kiara Mack, a junior and co-leader on the team, said she has played on multiple teams in the past, including Burlington and South Burlington, and praised the teams’ dynamics.

“No matter what team you’re on, you become a family. If you play against them, it makes you tighter because you want to win but you also have a lot of respect for their game.” Mack said. Many of Mack’s opponents are familiar faces, she said. “It’s very intense competition, but it’s very good for us. I love the team aspect, and Vermont holds it to a higher standard.” 

Though team spirit is hitting full-stride, scouting and recruitment are what’s most at stake for some of these collegiate-wishful student-athletes. 

Sophomore Trevon Bradley put up over 400 points last season as a first-year, a difficult feat that would catch the eye of collegiate scouts, yet with a shortened season on the horizon it’s harder to get representation to games and establish relationships between student-athletes and recruiters.

Those setbacks aren’t slowing down Bradley. 

“My mentality is just come to the game and kill,” Bradley said. “People look at me as just a little kid, but my mentality is ‘fear nobody and be a demon on the court.’ I don’t know about others, but it doesn’t really affect me. I will still be me, just do my thing on the court, help my team anyway I can, and that’s it.” 

Sharras Mclver, a junior on the men’s basketball team, echoed Bradley. 

“I just try to do the same thing: play, work, and try to win the game,” McIver said. 

Sam Jackson, head coach of the boy’s varsity team, responded to the thought of opportunities lost due to COVID cancellations for these student-athletes. Jackson said it creates “a perfect segway into the larger picture of, ‘are we doing what’s socially and morally right for our students today?’.” 

CORRECTION 2/1/2021: Penny Ly’s name was misspelled in an earlier version of this article. Additionally, Winooski teams were cleared for practice on Jan. 21, not Jan. 22.