Leaving the dogpile for the third time after winning gold at the 2019 baseball ISSTs, Matthew Pope (’20) felt overjoyed. The team had won ISSTs for the three years he had been on varsity baseball, and he knew that he could do more. He realized that in his senior year, he could win again and have four gold medals in four years of playing varsity baseball.
Unfortunately, that goal is on hold as the baseball season, along with all other spring sports, is postponed due to COVID-19. It is uncertain whether it will start as there is no clarity on when school will reopen.
Coming into the season, Pope said he was excited to play baseball every day and enjoy the Spring weather.
“I was excited to finish high school playing the sport I have played since I was three,” he said. “There is nothing like going to Canons [Park] on a sunny Spring day to play baseball.”
Echoing this sentiment, Jack Clark (’20) said he was looking forward to playing golf as he would finally be in a leadership role.
“I was looking forward to mentoring and helping my teammates become the best golfers they want to be,” he said.
Seniors are also missing the competition aspect of these sports.
Jessica Woodhams (’20) said she is disappointed that the varsity softball season was postponed as she hoped to get a chance to win gold in ISSTs again.
“I was looking forward to hopefully winning gold again,” she said. “Also, I was really looking forward to my last year of softball because I have played for six years now, and I wanted one more year.”
Pope also said that by not playing baseball he is missing out on some of the connections he could make with his teammates.
“I like baseball season because you spend so much time together and become like a family,” he said. “I’m upset that I won’t have that this final season of high school because I was really looking forward to that.”
Likewise, in softball, Woodhams said she was really looking forward to strengthening her bond with her teammates before graduating in June.
Clark also said he was excited to golf with his friends every day because “it’s a great way to end senior year.”
Not being able to put on an Eagles jersey one last time is something that is upsetting to Woodhams as she said she has given so much to the program.
“I know that my teammates and I have put in a lot of hours to this program, and it would mean a lot to play this final season,” she said.
She also said she hopes that the athletic department will give the athletes one final game, so they have a final chance to put on an Eagles jersey before they graduate and move on from High School sports.
