Sheldon Basketball Team Thankful To Play Ahead Of CIF Playoff Game
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - It's good news for students at Sheldon High School in the Elk Grove school district: the Huskies will take on Dublin Tuesday night as part of the state basketball playoffs.
This comes after days of being unsure if a game would even be allowed to happen. The Sheldon boy's basketball team spent their Tuesday afternoon getting in some last-minute reps before the big game.
"All the support they gave us on social media – the parents who protested – I'm really playing for them to get that W and move on to the next game."
Players including Josh Williams feel the chance to be able to play already makes them feel like winners.
"It was devastating to find out that we couldn't play – but knowing we have the chance to play again," said Williams. "It's just a lot of emotions running through my head."
Williams and the rest of his team haven't stepped foot on a court in days and they haven't played a game since the end of February.
"I've been trying to get shots up at the gym whenever I can," Willians said.
The Elk Grove Unified School District originally chose not to allow Sheldon to compete after a coronavirus connection effectively shut down schools and related activities.
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That's what sparked a protest by parents and players, demanding the district and the CIF allow the team to play. Williams felt their efforts made all the difference.
"Without them, we wouldn't be here," he said. "All the support they gave us on social media – the parents who protested – I'm really playing for them to get that W and move on to the next game."
Still all this change had some, like Assistant Coach Rich Viano-Nitschke, feeling a little skeptical.
"It's been so up and down over the last few days that when we walk on the court at 7 o'clock," said Viano-Nitschke. "Then we'll know we're playing."
Now with the ball in their court, the number one seed jumped on the bus with confidence.
Elk Grove Unified only rescheduled athletics for Tuesday and Wednesday. They're still making decisions for any activities planned for the rest of the week.
The Huskies won the semifinal game against Dublin Tuesday night 59-58.