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Maine high school athletes and coaches were upset by the Maine Principals’ Association decision Thursday to cancel the spring season due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Orono High School senior Maggie Coutts was looking forward to defending her Class C pole vault state title and the Red Riots team state championship.
“It’s obviously disappointing when you work so hard during high school to get to your senior year. It hurts to not be able to see your friends and keep busy,” Coutts said.
“But [COVID-19] is bigger than us,” she said.
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Coaches and athletes agreed the MPA made the right decision because of the spread of the coronavirus.
“I feel bad for the seniors, especially. Their careers are coming to an end before they wanted them to,” said Lee Academy baseball coach Randy Harris, who was preparing for his 31st year directing the Pandas.
“But I certainly understand that you can’t put people’s health in jeopardy by putting them out in public,” Harris said. “[COVID-19] hasn’t peaked here yet.”
Maine schools have transitioned to remote learning, so students are taking their classes from home via computer.
“If the kids aren’t going to be in school for the rest of the year, you can’t expect them to be out on the fields playing ball,” Harris said.
Bangor High softball senior Morgan-Carter Moulton, a pitcher and catcher, would have been a fourth-year starter for the Rams.
“It’s devastating to not have a senior season,” said Moulton, whose career is now over. “I’m going to college [Lee University in Tennessee] and I won’t have a chance to play softball next year.”
She can only wonder about how Bangor might have fared this spring.
“Our team was going to be so much stronger than last year, more mature, talented and passionate,” she said. “It’s hard to accept that I won’t able to say a formal goodbye to my teachers and to coach [Don] Stanhope, who has been like a father figure to me.”
Stanhope, who was going into his 16th season, said the development is heartbreaking for the athletes.
“These kids put in so much time and energy getting ready for the season. It’s especially hard for the seniors who may or may not be going on to play at the next level. This was going to be their moment,” Stanhope said.
Moulton readily admits it is not worth risking the health of the players, coaches, their families and their friends to have a season.
“It makes total sense. I have no resentment. This is a terrible pandemic,” Moulton said.
“It sucks but losing a softball season is a small price to pay [to try to stop the spread of this pandemic],” agreed versatile Bangor senior Rowan Andrews, who would have been a four-year starter.
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“It’s really sad but I understand it,” Brewer senior second baseman Kathryn Austin said.
All four seniors said they will leave their respective high schools with special memories.
Austin won two Class B softball state titles at Brewer, Moulton had a quality career and Andrews built an impressive resume as a three-sport athlete [soccer, basketball and softball].
“It’s sad to end this way but we left our impact and we always had such a close bond together,” Austin said of her team.
Coutts, whose competitive athletics career is over, isn’t going to look back and feel sorry for herself.
“I don’t have any regrets or feel that I missed out on anything. Now it’s time to focus on the next thing for me which is college,” said Coutts, who will join her mother, Lynn, at the University of Denver where she is in athletic administration.
Andrews said the special camaraderie and environment they had in softball will never be forgotten.
Austin and Andrews both plan to attend the University of Maine.
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