A tough decision

Since then, there has been a flurry of forfeits as the virus continues to wreak havoc. A parent of a student at Lowell High School in San Francisco ultimately forced the school to abandon its girls’ soccer team’s season, one that had the Cardinals seeded No. 1 in the Nor Cal Division IV bracket. Saturday, the Elk Grove Unified School District pulled the plug on classes and extracurricular activities for this week, ending the Sheldon boys’ basketball season as the No. 1 seed in the Nor Cal Open Division. The Huskies were the two-time defending Nor Cal champions and were still searching for their first state title. An outcry from parents and fans had the EGUSD rethink its decision and Sheldon’s semifinal game against Dublin has been rescheduled for Tuesday night at Cosumnes River College in Sacramento

A parent of a student at Riordan High in San Francisco also tested positive for the virus and after initially postponing the Crusaders’ semifinal game De La Salle from Saturday to Monday, the school ultimately decided to forfeit the game. The Lincoln boys’ basketball team, a third San Francisco school, had its season finished when the school district forfeited its semifinal game against Brookside Christian. At West Valley College in Saratoga, the school announced fans were being banned at any athletic events.

I’m kind of torn about the whole thing. On the one hand, I understand this is extremely disappointing for players, their families and fans. They have worked all season, and in many cases, for four years, to get a chance to play for a state championship. To be forced to stop three games from the mountain top is certainly a tough pill to swallow.

On the other hand, these are schools whose mission is to not only educate students, but to keep them and, by extension their families, safe. Given all we don’t know about the virus, maybe discretion is the better part of valor?

It’s not just high school athletics. Some colleges have taken the route of keeping fans out of the stands for basketball games or limiting the number allowed in the gym. The NBA is having discussions about having only essential personnel in arenas for games, while the BNP Paribas Open, a tennis tournament in Southern California that many refer to as a fifth major, was canceled. The South by Southwest music festival has also been called off. San Francisco has canceled any event with 50 or more people on city-owned properties.

Is this an overreaction or extremely cautious? Is it so bad to err on the side of caution?

The CIF’s hands are mostly tied on the Nor Cal tournament developments, as it can not override the decision of a school or a district. Maybe the CIF should think about simply canceling the tournament altogether or maybe pushing it out another couple weeks? Not because of any overreaction to the virus, but considering how messed up the brackets have become, it doesn’t seem fair to all involved not to have it decided on the floor.

***

Olga Fa’asolo, a sophomore center for the Skyline women’s basketball team, was named to the second-team, all-state team.

Fa’asolo, a 2018 Notre Dame-Belmont graduate, started all 28 games for the Trojans this season, averaged just under 14 points per game on 44% shooting, pulled down 10.4 rebounds and nearly 2 block a game.

***

Lucy Li, a Redwood Shores native who exploded on the golf scene as an 11-year-old after winning the drive, chip and putt competition at Augusta National and becoming the youngest player to qualify for the U.S. Women’s Open, made her professional debut this past weekend in Florida.

Now 17, Li played in the Florida Natural Charity Classic on the Symetra Tour — essentially the Triple-A tour of the LPGA. The top-10 players on the Symetra Tour at the end of the year earn their card for the LPGA tour. In her first round as a pro, Li shot a 3-over 75 and followed that with rounds of 73 and 77 to finish with a total of 225 in a tie for 43rd and $627.

Nathan Mollat can be reached by email: nathan@smdailyjournal.com or by phone: 344-5200 ext. 117.