Sangamon Sun

The Illinois High School Association's defiance of Gov. J.B. Pritzker's attempts to put off the state's upcoming high school basketball season over COVID-19 has pleased a Petersburg basketball coach.

"I am glad IHSA is going against Pritzker," PORTA Community Unit School District #202 High School basketball coach, and science teacher, Nicholas Rathgeb told the Sangamon Sun. 

"The student/athlete is going to be out doing something after school. It can either be monitored by the school and done safely or by the individual where it might not be the safest way," said Rathgeb.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker | illinois.gov

Rathgeb stated that the athletes want to be on the boards.

"They are going to play with or without the school," he said, "It's not possible to push all sports back and think you can play them all in the spring. It's just not possible."

Pritzker, with guidance from the Illinois Department of Public Health that had just moved basketball from the "medium risk" category to "higher risk" in its winter safety guidelines, announced high school basketball and wrestling in the state would be "on hold."

The day after Pritzker's announcement, IHSA's Board of Directors voted in a special meeting to proceed with the basketball season as scheduled. The board also set schedules for other sports, including "low risk sports" such as swimming and diving, cheerleading, bowling and gymnastics, according to an IHSA announcement.

The IHSA made those decisions following guidance from its Sport Medicine Advisory Committee (SMAC). Boys and girls basketball will begin practice on Nov. 26, according to the announcement.

Play can begin "within an Illinois COVID Region or within a conference" on Nov. 30, the announcement said.

Teams will follow limitations that allow a maximum of 31 games and masks will be worn by players, coaches, and officials during play, according to the IHSA announcement.

"It will become a local school decision to determine if a school will allow their basketball teams to participate following the guidelines developed by the SMAC," the IHSA announcement said.

Since the announcement, fewer than 34 high schools are certain their basketball seasons will start this month, according to Chicago Sun-Times sources.

PORTA apparently is one of those schools that are not certain.

"I believe my school will look at its options but would prefer the students to be able to play under the school's leadership, not out on their own," said Rathgeb.