Tuesday night, many high school teams in the Mecklenburg County and Wake County areas began to play basketball while wearing masks.
Late last month, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order requiring all indoor youth and amateur athletes to wear masks while playing sports. Tuesday, the N.C. High School Athletic Association -- which had already had its public school volleyball players playing in masks -- began to require all athletes, indoors or out, to wear masks.
For public schools, only volleyball and cross-country are in season now. Cross-country athletes can remove the masks while running. But sports in less vigorous skill development phases -- like football and basketball -- will have to wear the masks while participating.
But for private schools, basketball is in season now, and with a full schedule Tuesday, that meant the mask-while-playing experiment was going to begin.
Despite dozens of games scheduled, no incidents were reported to the Observer.
At Charlotte Country Day, new Bucs coach David Carrier’s team finally played its first game. The Bucs had a few games postponed due to COVID-19. And Carrier - whose team lost to High Point Wesleyan 77-63 Tuesday -- said his kids just wanted to play, however they had to do it.
“Once the game started,” Carrier said, “the masks didn’t seem to be an issue. It seemed as if the flow of the game took over.”
The Buccaneers’ first game under Carrier ended with a 77-63 loss Tuesday night to Wesleyan Christian of High Point, but the visiting Trojans had to work for it.
“We’ll run a lot, and we’ll get a lot of players involved,” said Carrier, who was hired in the off-season by the Buccaneers after stints at Providence Day and Westchester Country Day over the past 25 seasons.
A dozen Bucs saw action. All but one scored. The Bucs fell behind by 18 points early in the third quarter but battled back within single digits just five minutes later.
And they did all that with only three days’ practice.
Carrier, who coached Providence Day to a pair of state championships and four consecutive state finals appearances, has needed patience in recent weeks. While most other private schools across North Carolina ran practices and played several games, Charlotte Country Day was sidelined by various issues, including that COVID contact tracing and a late football season.
“We only had one practice together as a team,” he said.
And Tuesday night was the Buccaneers’ opener.
They trailed the entire game but narrowed the gap to 11-10 early in the second quarter. Wesleyan Christian opened a 25-15 lead and extended it to 36-21 at the half.
The Trojans, taking advantage of a size advantage, widened their lead to 44-26 with 5:56 left in the third quarter.
“We kept battling, and that was something I liked,” Carrier said. “We came back.”
The Buccaneers narrowed the gap to 53-44 on a Jordan Erwin jump shot with 52 seconds left in the third quarter. Momentum appeared to have switched in Charlotte Country Day’s favor.
“But then … it all went away in a hurry,” Carrier said.
The Trojans scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter for a 64-44 lead and coasted from there.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Kade Darr, Wesleyan Christian: A 6-3 senior guard, Darr finished with a game-high 16 points. He was one of four Trojans in double figures.
Luke Grace, Wesleyan Christian: A 6-9 freshman, Grace dominated on the boards, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds and scoring 15 points.
Carter Alessi, Charlotte Country Day: While 11 Buccaneers scored, Alessi was the only player in double figures. He finished with 11 points.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Wesleyan Christian had a big edge from the foul line, making 24-of-30 free throws. The Bucs didn’t get to the line often and didn’t shoot well when they got there, making just 5-of-14.
▪ The visitors also had a big edge in rebounding, 37-28. The Trojans outrebounded the Bucs 20-10 in the second half.
WHAT’S NEXT
Charlotte Country Day gets a few more days of practice before traveling to Greensboro Day, the state’s top-ranked team, for a Saturday afternoon game. Wesleyan Christian’s next game is next Tuesday, at home against Cannon School.
Late last month, N.C. Governor Roy Cooper issued an executive order requiring all indoor youth and amateur athletes to wear masks while playing sports. Tuesday, the N.C. High School Athletic Association -- which had already had its public school volleyball players playing in masks -- began to require all athletes, indoors or out, to wear masks.
For public schools, only volleyball and cross-country are in season now. Cross-country athletes can remove the masks while running. But sports in less vigorous skill development phases -- like football and basketball -- will have to wear the masks while participating.
But for private schools, basketball is in season now, and with a full schedule Tuesday, that meant the mask-while-playing experiment was going to begin.
Despite dozens of games scheduled, no incidents were reported to the Observer.
At Charlotte Country Day, new Bucs coach David Carrier’s team finally played its first game. The Bucs had a few games postponed due to COVID-19. And Carrier - whose team lost to High Point Wesleyan 77-63 Tuesday -- said his kids just wanted to play, however they had to do it.
“Once the game started,” Carrier said, “the masks didn’t seem to be an issue. It seemed as if the flow of the game took over.”
The Buccaneers’ first game under Carrier ended with a 77-63 loss Tuesday night to Wesleyan Christian of High Point, but the visiting Trojans had to work for it.
“We’ll run a lot, and we’ll get a lot of players involved,” said Carrier, who was hired in the off-season by the Buccaneers after stints at Providence Day and Westchester Country Day over the past 25 seasons.
A dozen Bucs saw action. All but one scored. The Bucs fell behind by 18 points early in the third quarter but battled back within single digits just five minutes later.
And they did all that with only three days’ practice.
Carrier, who coached Providence Day to a pair of state championships and four consecutive state finals appearances, has needed patience in recent weeks. While most other private schools across North Carolina ran practices and played several games, Charlotte Country Day was sidelined by various issues, including that COVID contact tracing and a late football season.
“We only had one practice together as a team,” he said.
And Tuesday night was the Buccaneers’ opener.
They trailed the entire game but narrowed the gap to 11-10 early in the second quarter. Wesleyan Christian opened a 25-15 lead and extended it to 36-21 at the half.
The Trojans, taking advantage of a size advantage, widened their lead to 44-26 with 5:56 left in the third quarter.
“We kept battling, and that was something I liked,” Carrier said. “We came back.”
The Buccaneers narrowed the gap to 53-44 on a Jordan Erwin jump shot with 52 seconds left in the third quarter. Momentum appeared to have switched in Charlotte Country Day’s favor.
“But then … it all went away in a hurry,” Carrier said.
The Trojans scored the first nine points of the fourth quarter for a 64-44 lead and coasted from there.
THREE WHO MATTERED
Kade Darr, Wesleyan Christian: A 6-3 senior guard, Darr finished with a game-high 16 points. He was one of four Trojans in double figures.
Luke Grace, Wesleyan Christian: A 6-9 freshman, Grace dominated on the boards, grabbing a game-high 11 rebounds and scoring 15 points.
Carter Alessi, Charlotte Country Day: While 11 Buccaneers scored, Alessi was the only player in double figures. He finished with 11 points.
WORTH MENTIONING
▪ Wesleyan Christian had a big edge from the foul line, making 24-of-30 free throws. The Bucs didn’t get to the line often and didn’t shoot well when they got there, making just 5-of-14.
▪ The visitors also had a big edge in rebounding, 37-28. The Trojans outrebounded the Bucs 20-10 in the second half.
WHAT’S NEXT
Charlotte Country Day gets a few more days of practice before traveling to Greensboro Day, the state’s top-ranked team, for a Saturday afternoon game. Wesleyan Christian’s next game is next Tuesday, at home against Cannon School.
