During winter break, anticipation for winter sports was high among winter athletes. Without any fall sports during the first semester at all, students were looking forward to a healthy dose of competition. Both girl’s and boy’s Manogue basketball teams knew that their seasons would be short, but they were prepared to make a showing. The boys team had been practicing outside of the Manogue gym for months, but the girls team only began their season together on January 4th, the first day back from winter break.

Although games had already been scheduled, on January 11th Governor Sisolak announced that the statewide pause would be extended by another 30 days. This prevented any players from hearing anything about when or if they would get a season. They continued to practice, but eventually the date of when the first games had been scheduled rolled around and the governor had still not said anything. As the month progressed, the Manogue basketball teams found out through social media and informal texts that the season was officially cancelled; making Nevada one of two states in America who had made the cancellation official.

Players across the state were devastated by this decision, but senior athletes and their families were hit the hardest. Senior Jacob Carlton recalls the practice when the team got the news, explaining that “It was sad…the fact that I wasn’t going to be playing with my best friends was hard to deal with. I just wanted the chance to prove…we were the best team in the North.” Carlton and the team’s other two seniors, Cort Ballinger and Riley Navarro, were devastated by this news. None of the senior boys have any solidified plans to play basketball in college, so this season would have been their last opportunity to play competitively.

Jordyn Jensen, a senior captain of the the girls basketball team, gives her thoughts on the season’s abrupt cancellation. “I understand that the pause was extended to keep us safe, but honestly we are the lowest risk age category…the fact that football gets a season when they are a higher risk sport is hard to swallow.” The Manogue girl’s basketball team has four seniors including Jensen, Ducky McCleod, Kylie DeBruin, and Morgan Tisdale. “This year was looking really promising,” Jensen continues, “our coach was going to get the best out of us and we would have dominated the north.” Jensen is committed to play for the Hawaii Pacific University Sharks next year, and McCleod is committed to play for the Stanislaus State Warriors. DeBruin and Tisdale both plan on continuing their academic careers without playing competitive basketball in college.

Because of our Nevada state government, the senior years of so many athletes have been dragged through the dirt with zero recognition and zero sympathy. The class of 2021 has gotten the worst possible senior year already, and the least our governor could have done was allow our players to have a basketball season. An even bigger punch in the face to athletes and their families is that not only did a number of other winter sports get seasons, football and the rest of the fall and spring sports are also getting their seasons – football being the most high-contact of almost all other sports.

But time has run out – there isn’t enough left of senior year to be able to salvage what’s been lost. However, with vaccine rollouts, testing and positive results decreasing rapidly, the future of all other senior classes looks hopeful. Although the class of 2021 didn’t get the senior year they hoped for, we pray that it is the only class who falls victim to the decisions made by state government.