By: Luke Matheson
The Arkansas Activities Association has announced the cancellation of all remaining state basketball championship games following Governor Asa Hutchinson’s announcement Monday that in-person learning in Arkansas schools has been cancelled for the remainder of the school year.
The teams that qualified for the 3A, 4A, 5A, and 6A state championship games will all be named 2020 State Basketball Champions according to a press release from the AAA. The release also states that plans are being developed to honor and formally recognize the students and teams who qualified to play in the championship games.
“It is with great disappointment that we announce the decision to cancel the remaining state basketball championship games,” said AAA Executive Director Lance Taylor. “We certainly sympathize with the students, coaches, and fans who are being impacted, but the health and safety of the students we serve is our top priority.”
The 2020 State Basketball Champions are as follows:
Class 3A
Girls: Valley Springs and Mountain View
Boys: Osceola and Rivercrest
Class 4A
Girls: Star City and Farmington
Boys: Magnolia and Mills University Studies
Class 5A
Girls: Greenwood and Nettleton
Boys: Jacksonville and West Memphis
Class 6A
Girls: Fayetteville and Bentonville
Boys: Conway and Little Rock Central
The Class 1A and 2A championship games were able to be played before the COVID-19 situation required the remaining games to be cancelled.
In Class 1A girls action Kirby defeated Viola 49-42 for the Class 1A Girls State Basketball Championship, while in boy’s action Nevada defeated Izard County 48-47 for the Class 1A Boys State Basketball Championship.
In Class 2A girls action Melbourne defeated Quitman 47-28 for the Class 2A Girls State Basketball Championship, while in boy’s action England defeated Earle 68-57 for the Class 2A Boys State Basketball Championship.
