Boys Basketball: 'I'm heartbroken, to say the least' Timothy Christian, Hinsdale South react to canceled season

Timothy Christian’s Matt Owens stayed positive throughout a tumultuous few hours March 12.

The senior point guard had fond memories of watching his cousin Jordan Ash help guide St. Joseph to a Class 3A state championship in the 2014-15 season. Owens did his part by adding another chapter to the family’s state basketball history, leading the Trojans to the Class 2A state tournament in Peoria this weekend.

But on March 12, the Trojans ran into an unbeatable opponent: COVID-19.

The IHSA, a few hours after declaring the Class 1A and 2A state tournament would still be played in front of a total of 120 fans, announced that all state playoff games would be canceled.

“I’m heartbroken, to say the least,” Owens said. “This is something I’ve been working for since I was a seventh-grader and saw my cousin Jordan Ash win his state title with St. Joseph. I was very excited to play and represent my school, even with the small amount of fans watching, just as long as I got to fulfill my dreams. When I got the news, it felt like a bullet to the chest. My lifelong dream was cut short.”

Given the concerns over the worldwide spread of the coronavirus, the IHSA informed all eight state teams in Peoria that the games would not be played. Owens said the team was shocked at the news. The Trojans (28-5) defeated Fieldcrest 59-43 in the Class 2A Northern Illinois University Supersectional to advance to state for the first time in 40 years.

They were scheduled to play Springfield Sacred Heart-Griffin in a 2A semifinal March 13 at Carver Arena.

“We were in the hotel when we got the news, which was literally minutes after we were discussing how fun this weekend was going to be and the feeling of winning a state championship,” Owens said. “At first, we were all just stunned for a while, and no one said a word. When we had our team meeting, we all broke down together and embraced it.”

IHSA Executive Director Craig Anderson praised all the state teams for dealing with the difficult decision.

“I also want to commend the coaches and administrators from the Class 1A and Class 2A boys basketball state finalists who traveled to Peoria today,” Anderson said in a statement. “While obviously disappointed, they conducted themselves with the utmost class as we charted this unprecedented situation together.”

Hinsdale South and Benet were slated to play in a Class 3A sectional semifinal March 12, but they learned their game – and season – were canceled right before tipoff. The Hornets (30-3) were the sectional host and were motivated to continue their historic season in front of a sellout crowd. The sectional semifinal was postponed a day over fears that a Hinsdale South student was potentially exposed to the virus.

“Last night, we found out in the locker room and were not dressed, but tonight the kids were dressed and starting to warm up and getting ready to play,” Hinsdale South coach Brett Moore said. “It was tough to tell the kids two days in a row. Probably one of the hardest things was to look them in the eye and tell them their season was over. It was a tough conversation.

“We were anticipating a huge crowd, probably would have had to turn people away. The last 26 hours have been unbelievable. It was tough to process, with all the news happening all over the world. The IHSA knows how much this means to the kids. They wanted it to go on. It’s really tough for kids, tough for everybody, especially for teenagers.”