The News Herald (Willoughby, OH)
Inside: Area coaches discuss impact of OHSAA decision.
The roar was deafening. Ty Mitch remembers it well.
After winning the 119-pound state championship in wrestling, a 7-4 decision over St. Paris Graham’s Nick Brascetta in 2010, Mitch, then a senior at Aurora rose to his feet and pointed victoriously to the screaming fans at the Jerome Schottenstein Center.
That response won’t be anything like that this weekend at the state wrestling tournament, where fewer fans will be on hand after the OHSAA’s announcement March 10 that, in line with a recommendation by Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, will limit spectators at tournaments this week and possibly beyond in an effort to curb the potential spread of the novel coronavirus.
“This will be a very difficult time for our schools and fans, but we cannot ignore the directive of the Governor,” Snodgrass said March 10.
“We are pleased that our tournaments can continue and we will soon determine who can attend. However, we can already say that it will most likely be no more than the immediate family of the studentathletes participating in the event.”
Which is going to make a serious dent in the fan bases that wish to attend one of the three state tournaments (hockey, wrestling, girls basketball) this weekend, as well as regional boys basketball games.
“It’s obviously a concern,” said Mitch, now an assistant for Lake Catholic.
“The state wouldn’t take it seriously if it wasn’t. But our kids only care about scoring points and pinning dudes. That’s our concern right now.”
Lake Catholic is sending a contingent of eight to the Division II state wrestling tournament that runs from March 13-15 at the Schottenstein Center, part of a 27man group from The NewsHerald coverage area making the trek.
The Cornerstone Christian girls basketball team will play Fort Loramie in a Division IV state semifinal March 12 at St. John Arena, just across the Olentangy River from the Schottenstein Center.
Gilmour’s hockey team will play St. Ignatius on March 14 at Nationwide Arena in downtown Columbus.
The Mentor and Richmond Heights boys basketball teams have regional games this week.
All will do so in front of smaller-than-normal crowds because of the OHSAA’s edict to limit spectators in an attempt to lessen chances of a COVID-19 spread.
“We have no control over it,” Lake Catholic wrestling coach Scott Hivnor said. “Whatever they allow us as far as fans is what it’s going to be. We’ll prepare the same way and go wrestle.”
“It’ll be weird,” Mitch said. “Obviously the Schottenstein Center is usually filled up. But our kids will be all right. A state title is a state title.”
Stopp’s Cornerstone squad will be at St. John Arena. She said the Patriots’ focus is on winning basketball games, but said playing in front of a smallish crowd will be “a bummer,” albeit for a good reason.
“I feel bad personally for the kids and the CCA students who are such a big part of this journey,” Stopp said. “But at the same time, we play for an audience of one — for the Lord and the gifts he’s given us. I know that sounds cliche, but
that’s who we play for.”
In his address, Snodgrass said the boys basketball regional games starting March 11 and running through the weekend will be subject to the same limitation of spectators. Mentor coach Bob Krizancic hopes TV restrictions will be lessened by the OHSAA to allow more broadcasting of games.
“Hopefully, I think that they have curbed televising or having only audio,” Krizancic said. “If they can allow visual, the people that can’t attend the games can watch the games. I hope that the OHSAA will lift that restriction. That’s important that the fans still get to see the game some way, somehow. In my opinion, the overriding thing right now should be to find a way that people can watch the game live, and that should be their immediate thing. The players deserve, kind of, the recognition and the people that wanted to watch it, can watch it. That should be what the OHSAA and everybody else is doing right now.”