During this whole cluster of messy meetings and talks about safety in regards to Covid-19, Manitou Springs School District has resumed boys basketball. Our teams are very excited to get back into the action and play ball.  The opening boys basketball game will be at home against Peyton on January 26. The season, if everyone one stays safe, will last until March 3, 2021 with hopes of making a postseason run after that.

However, with the positives come the negatives.   While practicing and playing games, the team will have to wear masks to satisfy requirements. Ethan Boren, a junior who is on our boys basketball team, said, “While not preferable, the way the last six months have [gone] we take everything we can get.” In regards to the difficulty or playing while wearing mask, Boren said, “Playing with the mask on takes a toll on your body at first, but after playing in them for a couple of weeks, it amplifies your body’s ability to go all out for sure.”

Where the players are excited the coaches are just as or even more ecstatic to start the season. When talking to Coach Brian Vecchio, he seemed very excited about the new team this year.  “We have a strong group of players returning this year with eight our of twelve varsity players back on the team”, Coach Vecchio said.   “This season, I have seen great development in play from our sophomores.”  Over the last few seasons, this boys basketball team has made some great strides and has won games at an historic pace for Manitou Springs High School.  Coaches and players alike are hopeful for a good season this year. Coach Vecchio shared that “no one has expressed any concerns regarding their health and safety, and that the goal is to play a healthy season without missing or rescheduling a game.”

Though other schools may be in different situations, everyone is working hard in maintaining a healthy group of athletes. Even with this 2020-2021 school year being quite difficult for many students at Manitou Springs High School, the team still has prideful attitudes and moods carrying them towards the new season. I think we can all agree that basketball is a crucial aspect of our school and without the sport of basketball many would have nothing to look forward to. For the future, let’s hope for a healthy season for everyone and make the best out of our sports situations. We are all very excited for the upcoming games and will maintain our Manitou Pride and look forward to competing for another State title. Let’s go Manitou Mustangs!