McLean County Times

Darrelynn Dunn, the head varsity girls coach at Prairie Central High School, hopes his athletes will get to play basketball this season.

"From a mental state I think kids need athletics to cope … so, I can understand why they went against Pritzker," Dunn said of the Illinois High School Association's (IHSA) decision in an interview with McLean County Times. "And, also, it just makes sense being that we were a medium risk sport and somehow shot up to high the day before the announcement."  

Last month, the IHSA decided to go against Gov. J.B. Pritzker's orders and continue with the season, Patch.com reported.

"The Illinois High School Association Board of Directors made the decision today to continue with the IHSA basketball season as scheduled in 2020-21," the IHSA Board said in a statement. "In August, the Board slated basketball to take place from November to February based on the Illinois Department of Public Health assigning a medium risk level to the sport. The IHSA Sports Medicine Advisory Committee offered additional mitigations, such as masks during play and social distancing on benches, that the SMAC believed would allow basketball to be played safely."

Dunn said he hopes his seniors get to compete.

"As of right now, we’re going to start on (Nov. 16) and we’re going to practice," Dunn said. "Obviously, there’s no scrimmaging."  

Dunn said there were still meetings going on regarding the possibility of playing.

"At this time, we’re preparing for practice in hopes of at some point we’ll get clearance to play the season," Dunn said.  

Pritzker and the Illinois Department of Public Health moved basketball to the "high risk" category last month when it was previously listed at "medium risk," Patch reported.

"What I would say is that we're listening to is the guidance from national orgs, physicians that treat kids, the experts in sports medicine," Pritzker said in response to the decision by IHSA. "What I would suggest is that if there's a difference of opinion, I prefer to err on the side of health and safety. And I think that's where we have intended for all of our guidance to fall."