VPA TO EXTEND BASKETBALL SPORTS SEASON AFTER GOVERNOR’S “PAUSE”
By Gregory J. Lamoureux
County Courier
Delayed by a spike in COVID-19 cases fueled by social gatherings, the Vermont Principals’ Association is extending the 2020-21 high school basketball season to accommodate the delay in starting, according to a local athletic director familiar with the decision.
According to the source who spoke with the County Courier, the last day of play in the regular season will now be moved to Saturday, March 13th, with playoffs beginning on March 16th.
Last year’s regular season ended on time, about three weeks earlier than when it will end this season.
Last month, Governor Phil Scott announced the delay in beginning winter sports due to the rising COVID-19 case count throughout the Green Mountain State. As of Wednesday, there are 105 new cases, for a total of 5,285 cases since the beginning of the pandemic.
More notably is a rise in the percentage of positive cases over a seven day average. In the summer, that number was as low as 0.01%, but has since risen to 3.5%, the highest since the end of April when only those thought to have had COVID-19 were being tested, due to a lack of available testing supplies.
Our source did not have an update on possible changes to the ice hockey season.
We’ll have more information as it becomes available.
