Déjà vu for TJ girls basketball team

Mike Darnay / MVI Sports
Thomas Jefferson girls basketball coach Lisa Fairman looks on from the back as Graci Fairman (center) drives during a drill in preseason practice prior to Gov. Tom Wolf’s shutdown of high school sports.

By JOSE NEGRON
jnegron@yourmvi.com

The Thomas Jefferson girls basketball team is familiar with the waiting game caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

It was just over eight months ago when the Jaguars’ winter season came to a premature end when the PIAA announced the cancellation of winter sports championships in early April. TJ was scheduled to play Chartiers Valley in the PIAA Class 5A quarterfinals in mid-March before the virus caused the game to be temporarily postponed.

When her team’s season ended without a chance to play in the quarterfinals or even a loss to eliminate them from contention, Jaguars head coach Lisa Fairman said she felt as if the PIAA’s decision was inevitable.

But that didn’t make it hurt any less.

“I just had this pit in my stomach when we heard the news. We battled so hard in the playoffs and no one wanted it to end,” Fairman said in April. “When I found out it was completely over, it was just like we lost a game. Kind of like that feeling you get in the locker room. The biggest thing is that we’re not going to get that chance again with that particular group of kids. We’re not going to have that closure.”

TJ had plans to take care of some unfinished business this winter, but the team is once again faced with the waiting game.

Like other high school winter sports programs throughout the state of Pennsylvania, the Jaguars are in the midst of a three-week shutdown, which was announced by Gov. Tom Wolf Thursday.

The shutdown went into effect Saturday and is set to expire Jan. 4.

During the pause, teams are unable to practice or play in games.

“It’s definitely a little frustrating just because we all want to play while finding some normalcy in the world, which is difficult due to the uncertainty and the danger with the virus,” Fairman said Wednesday. “The kids want to be out there and be with their friends, which is good for them to be active and social.”

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