DALEVILLE, Va. – Tuesday night in the Class 3 state semi-finals, the Lord Botetourt girls beat Booker T. Washington to head to the state championship for the second time in three years.
“It’s been a really crazy ride,” senior Meredith Wells said. “We were on Cloud 9 when we won Tuesday night. Going back to the state championship for the second time in three years.”
Then, hours before their last practice, one day before the drive to Richmond, the VHSL decided to cancel the rest of the state tournament due to concerns of the Coronavirus.
“As soon as we saw the tweet we were like, okay, our season is over,” senior Kenleigh Gunter said. “I know we had been concerned a few days before, like it could happen, but we never really thought it would. I think it’s mainly hard for the seniors and the younger ones too because that was the only time that they had with us.”
The Cavaliers were crowned co-champions with their opponent Spotswood. A better option than perhaps vacating the 2020 title, but ultimately, the girls wanted to play.
“I was definitely upset not being able to play one last time with my teammates,” Wells said. “I was shocked I would never play basketball again. Just knowing that everyone had a good season and we made it that far, that’s what really made it happy.”
“We worked hard, they worked hard, we both worked hard to get there all season,” junior Briana Myers said. “We shouldn’t not get anything.”
And while it hurt to not play one last game for the seniors, they understood the decision.
“Honestly, people’s safety, nobody wants to get sick or anything,” Myers said. “I don’t want it to be passed to my grandparents or anyone that could be affected a lot by it. It is bigger than basketball, basketball isn’t the most important thing right now.”
But one thing is for sure, the legacy the class of 2020 has left behind at Lord Botetourt is undeniable.
“It’s kind of a crazy feeling because I played volleyball too,” Gunter said. “This is my fifth ring, same with Miette (Veldman), so now we were kind of hoping to get a handful so that definitely helped. I think it’s just kind of nice to say we left a legacy here.”
“We went so far working together as a team and I will be forever grateful for my coaches and teammates because that’s what high school’s really about, making those relationships and I’m just really thankful,” Wells finished.