While in the middle of district play in one of the most challenging districts in the state, a day off due to threat of bad weather can mean a much needed break for a team to gain composure and prepare for their upcoming games.
That break becomes an issue for a unit when that threat becomes reality, and Knox County Schools are closed for 9 school days, 13 total days in a row. The break caused the postponement of several important district games, such as Farragut, William Blout, Hardin Valley, and a rematch with West.
“I think it caused a pretty big disconnect or disruption in our season because we had some of our big rivalry games get postponed,” senior Amanda Parker said.
Both the boys and the girls are 3-0 since returning back from the hiatus with wins over Maryville, William Blount, and Hardin Valley. One of the rescheduled Farragut games is Friday night at Bearden with the girls starting at 6 and the boys following at 7:30.
With the frequency of games being played the remainder of the season, the schedule looks like that of a postseason schedule, with games virtually every day.
“We are playing two tournaments stacked on top of each other,” boys Coach Jeremy Parrott said. “You want to win that second one, but also need to win the first one for better seeding in the second.
“It’s unfortunate it worked out like this, but we have to play the hand that we’ve been dealt.”
Over the break, coaches were told by the county that they were not allowed to meet with the team, so it was up to the players to stay ready to play whenever the break was over.
“We had a lot of kids who found a way to be active, but we had to take a wait and see approach as to how they would play when they returned,” girls Coach Justin Underwood said.