A Lost Year: Two senior student-athletes speak on loss of athletics season

by: Tyler Burgos
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The year of 2020 was wild, especially for the class of 2021. During the start of the school year, most seniors were looking forward to an outstanding sports season. For WHS, two standout student-athletes, Marcus Nieves and Nick Thompson, were both highly impacted for multiple seasons worth of sports, most notably the cancelled 2020 football season.

Before the cancellation of football, students held on to hope as the Department of Public Health went  back and forth between decisions for months. By Dec. 25,  the DPH said they would push football to spring and have practices and games then. When spring finally came around, they cancelled the season altogether.

When talking with Nick Thompson and Marcus Nieves about how he felt, Thompson said,“I was angry, sad  and mad on why they would push it back.”  

Nieves then said, “It was pretty upsetting to see that it’s senior year and just knowing it's my last year. I know this year I could have projected more of my skills and talent so I can get more offers for college.”

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Throughout the tough time, both athletes handled their emotions with help from Coach Matthew McKinnon, friends, and, most importantly, family. With all this help they stayed positive going into another season with the same problem of it being cancelled.


 Even with the cancellation of wrestling, they both push not only themselves, but their teammates at practices to become better athletes. With them being outstanding teammates and athletes, they both felt and said, “ I wish I could’ve pushed a little bit harder at every practice, meet, and game. Just to show I'm more than what I showed previously.”


With the year coming to an end I asked whether they would pursue sports in college and where. Thompson said, “ I won't be continuing sports at a higher level but, I will be going to trade school and become an electrician.”


 Nieves said,“ I will be continuing my sports career but, I am still undecided as of where I want to go.”