<b>By Justin Jarrett</b>

<b>LowcoSports.com</b>

The decision that went from unthinkable to inevitable over the course of the past month became official last week — there will be no more high school sports in South Carolina this school year.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

The S.C. High School League (SCHSL) Executive Committee voted unanimously to cancel the remainder of the spring sports season on April 22, shortly after Gov. Henry McMaster and S.C. Department of Education Superintendent Molly Spearman announced schools will remain closed through the end of the school year due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. The S.C. Independent Schools Association (SCISA) followed with an announcement that it will also cancel the remainder of the season.

“In line with what we’ve done in the past, no school in session means no sports,” SCHSL Commissioner Jerome Singleton said prior to the Executive Committee’s vote on ending the spring season.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

“We held out hope as long as we possibly could,” SCHSL Executive Committee President Ozzie Ahl said. “It’s definitely not a decision this committee wanted to deal with. Our hearts go out to the students and coaches.”<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

Looking ahead to the fall season, the committee then voted unanimously to allow the SCHSL to open the season on or after June 1, when social distancing restrictions are relaxed, and to rescind the “dead week” around July 4 to allow fall teams to make up for lost practice time this spring.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>

During a separate press conference, McMaster and Spearman indicated they will create a task force aimed at reopening schools in August.<span class="Apple-converted-space">&nbsp;</span>