The finish to the 2019-20 North Dakota high school sports winter season will always be remembered as the “what if” year. The Class A state basketball tournament was in the middle of its semifinal round when the news broke that the remainder of the winter sports tournaments would be suspended along with the spring sports season as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The news was a crushing blow to coaches, players, families, communities and more. In this MidcoSN podcast, I speak with Jamestown boys head coach Jacoby Lloyd, Edgeley-Kulm-Montpelier boys head coach Kevin Strobel and Shanley senior guard Hadley Huber. They share their own experiences of hearing the news of the suspension and dealing with the heartbreak of having their season ended prematurely.

Episode Highlights:2:00 - Jamestown boys basketball head coach Jacoby Lloyd shares his experience of finding out that the state tournament had been suspended. He also reveals some of the creative suggestions that were thrown out for trying to finish the tournament.

12:30 - Edgely-Kulm-Montpelier boys basketball head coach Kevin Strobel explains the impact the suspension of the Class B state basketball tournament had on not only his team, but the communities.

18:55 - Shanley senior guard Hadley Huber talks about the emotional rollercoaster her team experienced. Hours after their semifinal win to advance to the state championship game the Deacons learned the tournament was being suspended.