By Bobby Narang
The Illinois High School Association (IHSA) Board of Directors held a virtual meeting December 2 to discuss numerous topics, most notably the timeline of Winter sports.
IHSA executive director Craig Anderson said that when a timeline is set for the lifting of the restrictions, then the IHSA will start a plan when to start low-risk sports, such as boys and girls bowling as soon as possible.
“Given governor JB Pritzker’s current mitigations, the Board has no expectations of starting low-risk Winter sports prior to January (2021),” Anderson said in a statement released after the meeting concluded. “The Board and IHSA staff will continue to monitor the Tier 3 Resurgence Mitigation in effect currently. When there is a timeline for the State to emerge from these restrictions, the Board is prepared to start low-risk Winter sports quickly. In addition, the Board hopes to reestablish contact days in January (2021) for any Winter sports that cannot begin, as well as Spring and Summer sports. The introduction of contact days will be based on mitigations from the governor and the Illinois Department of Public Health at that time. Further guidance on contact days limits will be established at a future Board meeting.”
Anderson said the next scheduled meeting is set for December 14. November 19, the IHSA paused all sports and activities. As of right now, there’s no timetable when basketball will begin.
“To reiterate, the Board has no expectations to begin any Winter sports seasons until 2021,” Anderson said, “but will remain agile in their preparation and willingness to adapt should a window present itself sooner.”
• McCarthy enrolling early at Michigan
Former Nazareth Academy in LaGrange Park quarterback, J.J. McCarthy, one of the top quarterbacks from the Chicago area in the last few decades, is set to enroll early at the University of Michigan next semester.
In late Spring, McCarthy transferred to IMG in Bradenton, Fla. after a three-year career at Nazareth. He led the Roadrunners to a State championship and a second-place finish in his illustrious career. At IMG, one of the top football programs in the country, he guided his new team to the final No. 1 ranking in Maxpreps. McCarthy, the 22nd ranked recruit in his class by 247Sports, passed for 1,440 yards and 16 touchdowns for IMG this season.
But, McCarthy said he’s motivated to suit up for the Wolverines, to help them restore their program back to national prominence.
“I can’t wait, to get in there and be around the guys and coaches at Michigan,” McCarthy said. “It will be so much fun, to get in that atmosphere early is awesome.”
McCarthy said he enjoyed his brief stay in Florida.
“It was hard being away from home, everyone goes through it when they go to college,” he said. “I had to grow up very fast, but it helped me tremendously. Being able to be with my guys, just going through some stuff. We had a tight knit brotherhood because we all come from so many parts of the country. It was awesome to be around so many different characters. Being on my own was really cool, to be in my own thoughts.”