DUNMORE, Pa. — Even with a sea of masked faces, the atmosphere inside the gym at Dunmore Junior-Senior High School looks pretty normal.
Head coaches for the Dunmore Lady Bucks and Riverside Lady Vikings say it's a relief compared to last year.
'It was a little dicey there for a little while. I think everyone dealt with it in one way or another. Certainly, the crowds were impacted by that initially, but it seems like things are starting to get back to normal, and it's the right time of year for that with playoffs coming around," said Coach Ben O'Brien, Dunmore Lady Bucks.
"Compared to last year, it's totally different, we are excited. Things seem to be maybe settling down a little bit, maybe getting better every day. In that part, we know we are fortunate. Our administration has done a great job for two years getting us to play as many games as we have, so, yeah, everyone notices the difference, and it's all positive," said Coach Jack Mekilo, Riverside Lady Vikings.
Last season, the pandemic forced postponements, forfeits, and cancellations for many sporting events.
At one point, fans weren't even allowed in the stands.
COVID-19 vaccinations hadn't even rolled out to the general public yet.
Players say the progress in safety measures since then has been paying off.
"Everyone is being safe, even coming to the games, being safe and keeping healthy so they can come and see us play," said Mia Blume, Lady Bucks Senior.
Not only are players and coaches happy to have a sense of normalcy on the court, but they are also thrilled to have fans back in the stands.
Many school districts used cardboard cutouts to try and fill the void when fans weren't allowed to watch games in person.
Colby Murray is student body president at Dunmore and on the boy's varsity basketball team.
He's glad the cutouts have been replaced by real people.
"I mean, last year, we had to create our own energy during games, especially away games. They are already hard, but when there's an empty gym, it's terrible. This year having the student section back, the sixth man, it's great," said Colby Murray, DHS Student Body President.
Coaches say while there are still challenges as the pandemic continues, they are happy this year's seniors have been able to play the game without many disruptions.
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