COVID-19 shuts down Roosevelt’s basketball season, leaving seniors in a gray area for recruiting

By Nick Blume Feb. 1, 2021

SEATTLE--Roosevelt High School seniors on the men's basketball team were looking forward to one final season but are now stuck at home due to the COVID-19 outbreak.

A few months ago, Seattle Public School members met with Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) officials to ultimately declare a postponement on all winter sports. The decision was based on COVID-19 data in the state, Jay Inslee's mandate, and lack of resources for the safety of players, coaches, and families.

This year, the men's basketball team of Roosevelt High School had two particular standout seniors who expected to showcase their skills this year for college exposure. Alex Pape and Jake Downing are two starting guards on the team who have excelled into stars. This year's season, which is seemingly unlikely to happen in the spring, has brought plenty of challenges to each senior.

"Like mostly everyone else, I am bummed about my senior season. As far as repercussions go, working with my team every year to bond us together has been a journey. For many years we've been playing together, all leading up to this final season. With confidence, I can say this year would have been special for us given we had almost all seniors, and not having a season has been really unfortunate," said Alex Pape.

This team would've had seven seniors on the varsity roster this year who all played together over their four years in high school. A team like that is rare for many reasons, including players getting cut, transfers, and lack of development over their basketball career. For many, basketball has been a lifestyle rather than a hobby.

"I think it is tragic, for many, basketball is something they just enjoy to do in high school, and for others, it's a lifestyle. I know for a couple of teammates and me, we play basketball because it's fun and keeps us going. I feel for the players who might get their dreams cut short because of the pandemic, I am extremely lucky to have been in contact with many college coaches, but many aren't as lucky as I am, which is a horrible reality," said Jake Downing.

A common trend at Roosevelt High School has been its production of Division 2 and 3 players over the years. Recruiting during the pandemic has diminished under the circumstances that there is a lack of footage of many developed seniors. Pape and Downing are two of the guys who went above and beyond in the recruiting process to ensure their names are known.

"Entering the school year was when I really started to send out emails and texts to college coaches. It is definitely a long and slow process, and the Pandemic doesn't help that, but I wasn't expecting it to be easy. I'm lucky to be able to have multiple opportunities to play at different colleges, and I'm excited to make a decision soon," said Downing.

On the other hand, some players have moved to play for other teams outside of their high schools to enhance their college resumes. Players including Pape are traveling to other states where COVID-19 precautions have been established to create a safe environment for teams and families.

"I traveled to Idaho and Phoenix, AZ multiple times over the last few months with hope to acquire more film to send to some coaches. This was important considering that most coaches could not travel to recruit kids, making film a priority to get. Masks were required in the gyms, and teams were only let into the gym 15 minutes before their game time. Although these restrictions were present, the basketball environment out of state seemed relatively normal," according to Pape.

The WIAA recently published a schedule indicating that Metro League’s season would occur roughly from April 19-June 12. The WIAA and Seattle Public School committee will continue to communicate with Jay Inslee in hopes that Phase 2 will provide an opportunity for athletes to compete safely in the spring. Yet, players remain uncertain whether that will happen.

“With or without a season, the Roosevelt basketball team has been able to get to work individually and is prepared for any news to come for a shortened season. I would be thrilled if we were allowed to play,” said Pape.

For more information regarding high school hoops in Washington, stay informed through the Seattle Public School scheduling and the WIAA updates page.