Spring sports shutdown saddens Carroll student athletes

The school closure caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has forced sophomore Andrew Lynch to practice lacrosse without his team.

Kerry Dillon
March 29, 2020

Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association, Inc. (PIAA) postponed spring sports at least April 6 for all Pennsylvania high schools, including Archbishop Carroll.  No date has been determined for any sports activities to be restarted.

Thomas Quintois, Carroll’s athletic director, is hopeful spring sports will be played this school year.

“First off, I am deeply saddened for those who are suffering from this horrific virus,” Mr. Quintois said. “As for high school athletics, it hurts all of us as our student-athletes, coaches, and parents have spent countless hours preparing for their season.  To have this happen is really disheartening.”
“I remain optimistic that we will return to school and spring sports will resume in some fashion,” he said.  “I have been incredibly impressed with the enthusiasm and resolve of the Carroll student-athletes during this difficult time, and their great sense of faith and camaraderie that truly embodies the mission and spirit of Archbishop Carroll.”

Among the disheartened Carroll athletes is Jason Abuiso, a senior, who plays Ultimate Frisbee.

“It’s really a shame ,” Abuiso said. “People work really hard to have their season taken away from them. I was supposed to be a captain of the Frisbee team with Max Tyrell this year. I’m hopeful we can still have a season if everything simmers down in the next few weeks, but no one knows for sure.”

Senior Mike Volpe, a baseball player, said, “It is a shame that people worked all their high school years to get to this point to have it taken away by something out of their control. Also, seniors and juniors won’t be able to be seen for college recruitment and that impacts careers very hard. Besides that, student-athletes won’t earn their varsity letters for spring sports.”

Sophomore Andy Lynch had been looking forward to his first season playing varsity lacrosse.

“I’ve seen not only the work that I’ve personally put in, but the work that my teammates put in over the past few months, and it’s a shame to see it wasting away during the quarantine,” he said. “As a sophomore, I still have two years to play lacrosse, but I feel awful for my upperclassmen teammates and friends who are losing their final year of playing in high school.”

Similarly, junior Karli Dougherty had been looking forward to her lacrosse season.

“It’s really sad,” Dougherty said. “Coming from me whose favorite sport is lacrosse, I look forward to lax the entire year. To have that taken right out from under me is upsetting. With my commitment to Drexel, they had the Carroll lacrosse game schedule and planned to come and watch me play with some of the girls on the Drexel lacrosse team. Having that being canceled is frustrating when I was looking forward to showing them everything I can do.”

Dougherty said other girls on the team were in the same position as she was, looking forward to showing college coaches what they could do on the lacrosse field. Furthermore, the team had been looking forward to another shot at the Philadelphia Catholic League championship, which it had won for the past 19 years.

“This year was going to be 20 in 20! (2020 VISION, BABY!!),” Dougherty said. “However, that achievement has to be put on hold for our safety. On the flip side, all the girls are staying in shape! Most importantly, they are staying hopeful for the season to go on.”