Getting your Trinity Audio player ready...

The senior athletes for all Suffolk Public Schools have faced many challenges during the pandemic, but they have still pushed through to still have successful seasons.

When COVID-19 caused the lockdown in March 2020, high school students realized that things may not be the same. With the spring sports only one game into the season, schools shut down with no one knowing exactly how long.

“Our volleyball games were all live-streamed this fall,” said Addie Montgomery, a senior at King’s Fork High School. “It’s nice that for softball, we now have fans in the stands. It really pumps you up and makes it not feel like practice.”

Luckily for the spring sports, things are more back to normal. Parents can come watch and Suffolk schools can play the other teams in their conference instead of only other Suffolk schools. Even with the strange year, the teams have still been able to have successful seasons.

To celebrate the end of the season, the King’s Fork High School baseball and softball team seniors were recognized for their hard work on May 27. The seniors had posters and bulldog pawprints with their names and numbers to let the audience in the stands know who they were after being recognized on the field before the game. The seven seniors recognized were Konnor Tomczak, Tre’von Barnes, Addie Montgomery, Brendan Sanzo, Megan Carlesi, Aiden Gay and Aventa Thomas.

“Everyone is very excited for sports to be back, and they should be proud for what they have done in such a short amount of time,” said Megan Carlesi, a senior softball player at King’s Fork High School. “We were out last year with the pandemic and haven’t done much conditioning to prepare. It’s been really cool and everyone has done so well. Not just King’s Fork — all the Suffolk schools should be proud of what they accomplished.”

Sports also had a direct impact on school attendance. Before, as long as students got their work done during virtual learning, teachers didn’t keep a strict attendance record. Once sports started again, the attendance rules were back. Students either show up for their classes or they can’t play.

“Yes, I’m very excited to play baseball again,” said Brandan Sanzo, a senior at King’s Fork High School. “It’s the only thing I look forward to and the only reason I go to school.”

One of the great benefits of sports coming back is the relationships it builds between teammates. As many started playing together starting in sixth grade, the players have a strong bond.

“The relationships built between this team, I think, is the best we’ve had,” said Konnor Tomczak, a senior at King’s Fork High School. “We’ve gelled well together.”

After many years of playing together, the seniors from the class of 2021 could finish out their season the way they can look back and be proud of their accomplishments.

“We’re just playing our hearts out,” said Aventa Thomas, a senior at King’s Fork High School. “We’ve really come together this season.”