Senior captains react to spring sports shutdown

Published April 23, 2020

By STEPHEN MARTELLUCCI

NORTH READING — Due to the Coronavirus pandemic, high school sports have been put on hold throughout the country. In Massachusetts, Governor Baker announced that the schools will remain closed through the end of the school year unofficially ending the school sports season.

Under normal conditions, the lacrosse season would have started in late March while the other sports would have debuted in early April.

The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) was trying to work in a smaller schedule if school returned in May.

The ones most affected by this are the seniors who, a few months ago, could never envision their final months of high school ending up like this.

Elli DeCleene and Emma Lord both play for the North Reading High softball team and both players have been on the team all four years. The Hornets went 18-4 last spring as they lost 5-4 to Arlington Catholic in the Division 2 North quarterfinals.

“I was looking forward to this year,” DeCleene said. “I am disappointed but it is for the best to keep everybody safe. It will be sad not to get to play this year.

The center fielder was an a Cape Ann League All-Star for the first time last year and will be playing at Division 3 Wellesley College next season.

DeCleene said she will follow the team next year.

“I am looking forward to coming to the games next year after my season is over,” she said. “We have some nice girls and they should be good.”

During the downtime, before Baker’s ruling, DeCleene was able to find a batting cage online for free and has been hitting balls off a tee nearly every day to stay in shape. She has also been playing catch with her father.

Off the field, she is hoping that Senior Week will not be canceled. The week starts with the prom on June 1 and ends with graduation on June 5.

“The administration has been very helpful with telling us what is going on,” said DeCleene. “I have heard rumors they might reschedule the prom over the summer.”

She is also happy to have some structure back with online classes and has been keeping in touch with her friends on the phone and social media.

Lord, who played first base, is also very disappointed about the ruling.

“It is sad, I am devastated,” she admitted. “Elli and I were looking forward to being the captains and our team had a lot of potential.”

Lord, who was also a Cape Ann League All-Star in field hockey, has been going to an open park in Woburn to practice with her father to stay in shape the past month.

Lord will keep working out to play with her club team over the summer. She is deciding to attend either Coastal Carolina or Plymouth State this fall.

Both DeCleene and Lord would be up for a game against the North Reading Alumni team over the summer so the team can take the field one time together.

Kiley McCarthy has been on the North Reading girls’ lacrosse team all four years. The midfielder was a second-team Cape Ann League All-Star last season.

“It has been very frustrating,” said McCarthy, who was going to be a captain this year. “We have enough talent to make the tournament this year.”

Last year, the Hornets won five games and they have seven returning seniors on this year’s roster.

McCarthy will playing lacrosse at UMass-Lowell next year as a preferred walk-on.

“It makes it a little easier knowing that I will be playing in college,” she acknowledged.

During the past month she has been using a bounce-back machine to work on her shooting skills and she also has been running to stay in shape.

Off the field, she is using Zoom and phone calls to keep in touch with her teammates.

McCarthy said of all the senior events coming up, that graduation will be the toughest on students if it gets canceled.

“They could even do it in August,” she pointed out.

Just like DeCleene and Lord, McCarthy would enjoy playing a game against the Hornets alumni this summer so the team can at least play one game and have a proper send off.