Bishop Canevin boys forfeit state playoff game at last minute after positive covid test

By: Don Rebel
Friday, March 19, 2021 | 8:05 PM

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For Bishop Canevin, it was none and done.

With the Berlin Brothersvalley boys basketball team on the floor for warmups 15 minutes before the scheduled 6:30 p.m. start, Bishop Canevin officials announced there would be no game and the host Crusaders would have to forfeit.

The parents of one of the players who was not in attendance called the school to inform Bishop Canevin officials that the player had tested positive for covid-19.

After a brief discussion, the school made the decision to forfeit the game.

“The mother called us around 5 p.m. to let us know her son hadn’t been feeling good and they made a decision to take him for a rapid covid test,” Bishop Canevin athletic director Dale Checketts said. “Unfortunately, about quarter after six, she returned the call with the results that the young man has tested positive.

“We have to make the best decision we can at that point. We can’t say we didn’t have five guys that weren’t in close contact, so we had to cancel (Friday’s) game. Unfortunately that means we won’t advance in the PIAA playoffs.”

While the decision was a major disappointment for the Crusaders and the fans in attendance, Berlin-Brothersvalley was in no mood to celebrate their advancement to the PIAA Class A final four.

“I feel terrible for Canevin’s kids,” Berlin-Brothersvalley coach Tanner Prosser said. “This is not the way things should go. There should be two teams playing a basketball game right now.

“Coach (Gino) Palmosina is a great guy and has done a great job with their program. This is now two years in a row their kids have not had an opportunity to play this game. It’s not the way things should go for kids.”

PIAA game manager Brian Geyer said the decision to not play the game came from Bishop Canevin officials.

“The school made the best decision based on what they need to do for their health and safety plan,” he said. “The PIAA respects that. Based on the information and what we knew, if the school hadn’t made that decision, there would have been a phone call to the PIAA brass to find out what they would like to do.”

Geyer said it was a tough way to end for anybody, especially so close to game time.

“I think last year, obviously we were shut down mid-tournament and for this to happen this late is bad,” he said. “We were on the floor at 5:55 with Berlin, and Canevin was not out, and I kind of knew something was up.”

The forfeit loss ends the season for Bishop Canevin (16-6) one week after it celebrated its first WPIAL boys basketball championship.

Berlin-Brothersvalley advances to the PIAA Class A semifinals for the first time in program history. The Mountaineers will host the Clarion Monday in the state semifinals.

“Right now, it’s just a unique situation,” Prosser said. “I told our guys the bottom line is we have a game Monday and you’re one game away from getting to play in the ultimate game. Right now, it’s flip the switch and try to prepare for whoever we see on Monday.”

Checketts said the decision not to play may have been honorable, but it was extremely tough.

“We know we have a responsibility not only to our program, but those of our opponent as well,” he said. “The last thing we’d want to do is see something happen where we didn’t make a decision here and it affects both programs in a negative way.”

Tags: Bishop Canevin