By Trent Champagne

For Missouri high school seniors, it’s all but over.

Missouri Governor Mike Parson ordered that all public high schools in Missouri remained closed for the remainder of the school year.

For the graduating class of 2020, their four years of high school comes to a close.

No prom, no spring sports season, and many students may not have a chance to walk across the stage at graduation.

The Missouri State High School Activities (MSHSAA) released a statement on April 9th cancelling all spring sports activities for the remainder of the 2020 school year due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

Athletes across Missouri will not be able to complete their spring sports season. These sports include baseball, track, boys tennis, girls soccer, boys golf, among a few others. 

Lucas Wehde, a senior at St. Charles West High School, is not able to complete his senior season in baseball. 

“It just stinks. To train so hard throughout the years and to not be able to play my senior year, I’m just upset that I can’t play again with my brothers and friends that I grew up playing with,” Wehde said. 

Juniors across the state now realize that the next sports game they play, will be part of their senior year.

Sam Papin, a junior at St. Charles West High School, will not be able to compete in his junior tennis season. This would have been his second season competing in the #1 position, as the school’s best tennis player.

“It would have been my second year as a #1, and I was hoping for a big season. I had state hopes for myself and for the team, I wish this would have never happened and that I was able to play this year,” Papin said. 

Papin understood why MSHSAA cancelled his season, along with all of the other sports.

“This virus is bigger than us and bigger than sports. We shouldn’t risk ourselves and all of the coaches and fans just to play a high school match. We just have to do our part and keep staying home and hope we can get back to playing sooner rather than later,” Papin said.

All of the gyms and most of the outdoor facilities across the state are closed because of the COVID-19 outbreak. Students will have to stay safe and train from the comforts of their own homes.

Brendan Sportsman, a senior at St. Charles West, and a Missouri Southern State commit for football, has to train for his freshman season in the fall from his home.

“Training from home is definitely different than going to a gym. It’s something I can’t control but regardless I have to work on my game. I want to be able to compete next year in college,” Sportsman said.

With MSHSAA announcing the cancellation of the spring sports season, senior spring athletes will not be able to play their last game, or have their senior night, or a chance to compete for a state championship. It’s all but over for the high school senior class of 2020.