Bishop England basketball faces COVID cancellations

Ten years ago, it might have sounded like something out of a science fiction movie. Today, it’s a fact of life.

 

Paul Runey has been at Bishop England for 47 years in one form or another and he’s never had to deal with anything like the COVID-19 pandemic, which has topped 15 million cases in the United States and the death toll nears 300,000 people.

 

One email can change the course of a team’s season because of the pandemic.

 

Saturday, Runey, who serves as athletic director and coaches the girls’ basketball team, received an email reporting that a Palmetto Christian Academy player had tested positive for the virus, which meant this week’s game was canceled.

 

Runey followed protocol and notified the proper personnel who were connected to the game, including school officials.

 

An hour later, Runey received another email. This was to inform him that the BE boys’ team had a member test positive for the virus.

 

Since then, another student, who doesn’t participate in sports, tested positive for the coronavirus.

 

On Tuesday Runey recommended to BE principal Patrick Finneran to shut down basketball, practices and games, for the rest of the week, and the principal agreed.

 

Runey followed protocol much like he did when PCA reported the player who tested positive. He also called school officials at Burke and James Island, teams the BE boys played in the nights before.

 

The Bishops’ games against Palmetto Christian, First Baptist and Military Magnet have been canceled.