Anthony Belcastro and his Washington High School baseball team were pumped. The coach gathered his players together in the outfield, riding the wave of emotions after scoring seven runs in the final inning Monday and pulling out a 10-7 win against Frazier.
But most of those good feelings quickly vanished when a Washington assistant coach informed Belcastro of the news: This would be the last game for a week. Due to COVID-19 cases, the team would be shut down.
Again.
Belcastro then had to inform his team that it would not be able to practice or play a game until Monday. Not because of COVID-19 cases on the team, but at the school. Although the number of COVID-19 cases are dropping and many people are vaccinated, the pandemic is still having a big effect on high school sports in Western Pennsylvania. Washington is a prime example.
This is the third time Washington’s baseball team — and all Washington spring sports teams — have been shut down. Each time it was for about a week. For baseball, it was never because of a COVID-19 case with a player.
“We had four players quarantined at once because of contacts with kids at school, but none of our players ever tested positive,” Belcastro said.
Monday’s game against Frazier was Washington’s first in 12 days. The Little Prexies have played only five games.
“I know we have to be responsible and listen to the recommendations and guidelines,” Belcastro said. “But I have a hard time as an adult sometimes, trying to explain to 14- to 18-year kids that we have to shut down again. These are kids that will do anything you ask of them. It’s frustrating. There’s nothing you can do, but your heart breaks for the kids.”
If you thought COVID-19 only had an effect on fall and winter sports teams in the WPIAL, think again. All around the league in various sports, teams are having to deal with shutdowns. Some top teams have been shut down for a week to 10 days.
• The Hempfield boys volleyball team is shut down until April 28. Hempfield was the No. 3-ranked team in Class 3A in the most recent WPIAL coaches poll.
• The Southmoreland softball team is shut down until Monday. The Scotties are undefeated (7-0) and the Post-Gazette’s No. 2 Class 3A team.
• The Connellsville baseball team is shut down until Monday. The Falcons are tied for first place in WPIAL Class 5A Section 4.
During shutdowns, teams can’t play games or practice.
“It’s unfortunate, especially because our baseball team is playing really, really well,” Connellsville athletic director Rich Evans said. “From a competition standpoint, it’s unfortunate because teams can’t really do anything. I guess if there is any positive, it’s that teams still have time to adjust to things by the end of the season. Unfortunately, if you have a team stricken with this maybe in early May, it puts them in a bind.”
The shutdowns can create scheduling problems because the WPIAL wants teams to get all of their section contests played. There will be no “open” tournaments like boys and girls basketball, where all teams were invited to the playoffs, no matter how many section games they played or their overall record.
“I wouldn’t say we’re in a bind,” Hempfield athletic director Brandon Rapp said. “You just have to get creative sometimes with scheduling and make the best of the situation. One of the things we’ve stressed to the coaches is the mindset that the student-athletes need to have to be be flexible. Don’t let this impact what you had hoped to do.”
Southmoreland athletic director Dan Boring said, “I do agree that this can affect momentum of teams. What’s going to be tricky is what you don’t know about spring weather. What happens if you have a shutdown and then get a stretch of bad weather? The biggest thing moving forward is to get all of your section stuff in.”
WPIAL executive director Amy Scheuneman said schools have been informed to let the league office know by May 3 what section games still need to be played. The steering committees of all spring sports are supposed to meet either May 6 or 7 to discuss playoff situations. The pairings for baseball and softball are supposed to be decided May 13-14 and volleyball May 17.
There is a possibility the WPIAL might extend the regular season deadline a few days to let teams play all of their section games.
But this should not be forgotten. The WPIAL and PIAA still have a policy that if a team can’t play a postseason game because of a COVID-19 situation, that team will forfeit the game.
“I think the silver lining in all of this,” Rapp said, “is that whether in the classroom or the community, it can show how resilient student-athletes and coaches are.”
Mike White: mwhite@post-gazette.com and Twitter @mwhiteburgh
First Published: April 21, 2021, 10:00 a.m.
