Wait is even longer for Academy bball
CULVER - The basketball teams at Culver Academy have a long break naturally built in over Christmas due to being a boarding school. That break will be even longer for this season.
The school recently made a decision impacting its winter contact sports due to its latest concerns about COVID. Adjustments were enacted following a comprehensive review of the successes and challenges from the first semester. Specifically, the school announced through a memo from the athletic department:
The student-athletes from Culver Academies that participate in indoor contact sports will wear masks during competition unless the student-athletes from both teams test negative on the day of the contest (using the Binaxnow rapid test). Culver Academies will provide the test kits at no cost to the members of the opposing team. If opposing teams elect not to test their student-athletes on the day of the contest, then Culver Academies will request the opposing student-athletes to wear masks during the competition. If the opposing team chooses not to wear masks or test their student-athletes on the day of the contest, then Culver Academies will not participate in that contest.
Wrestling and hockey also fall under these new guidelines, but wrestlers will not need to wear masks during competition. Potential wrestling opponents will have to test negative on the day of the contest to compete against a wrestler from Culver Academies however.
This decision has been communicated to scheduled opponents, and as of now, the following upcoming boys basketball games have already been canceled: Jan. 15 @ Marquette
Jan. 16 @ Westfield
Jan. 19 @ Mishawaka Marian
Jan. 21 vs. Blackhawk Christian
The next game for the Eagles’ boys team then, will be hopefully, its Winter Classic on Jan. 23. If that fourteam, four-game, one-day tourney goes as planned, it will be the Academy’s first game in 42 days. The Lady Eagles’ squad is scheduled to play its Winter Classic this Saturday, but will most likely be another casualty. That would make their next game Jan. 23 or 43 days after its last game.
Obviously, it is unfortunate that games are being canceled, but never surprising any more. The Academy’s boys program has had one of the best schedules in the state the past few years. The called off January contests were against top competition so not only do the players miss out, but basketball fans do as well. Westfield is ranked No. 7 in Class 4A, Mishawaka Marian No. 7 in 3A and Blackhawk Christian No. 1 in 2A. The Winter Classic is scheduled to have South Bend Riley, who was in the top 20 last week for 4A, and could face the Academy in the championship game. Playing that tournament, and having that game, would be a welcome belated Christmas gift to area basketball fans.