BELOIT — Anyone hoping the girls varsity basketball teams from Beloit Memorial and Westosha Central would finally meet at Barkin Arena Wednesday night was disappointed again.
School District of Beloit Superintendent Dr. Willie E. Garrison II and Director of Athletics and Activities Jon Dupuis informed District families in a letter dated Feb. 5 that the game would not be played.
Dupuis notified the Beloit Daily News Wednesday morning the game was called off.
In their letter, Garrison and Dupuis stated: “We continue to collaborate with the Westosha School District Administration and wanted to provide you with an additional update. The varsity girls basketball game with Westosha scheduled for this Wednesday, Feb. 7, has been canceled and forfeited by Westosha at this time.”
The schools have had discussions after an incident at Westosha Central during a jayvee game led to Beloit varsity head coach Dilonna Johnson choosing to forgo playing the varsity game because she feared an unsafe environment had developed at the school.
After a confrontation with a referee as well as school officials from Westosha Central during the jayvee contest, Johnson sought and received permission from the Beloit District to leave. She said as the Beloit team exited the gym, a handful of Westosha Central cheerleaders, student athletes, parents and fans started making noises and gestures like they were gorillas. Some students took this to have racial implications.
The schools agreed to jointly discuss what happened and that an investigation would take place. Nothing has since been publicly disclosed concerning any aftermath from what happened in Salem, Wis.
The District letter to Beloit families further stated, “Please note that we are still in conversations with Westosha regarding possible non-forfeited games for both schools. Hosting both games at Beloit Memorial High School was a goal for both administrations. In the interim, there may be an opportunity to schedule a non-conference game for our junior varsity and varsity girls teams.”
The boys basketball teams met in Beloit without incident last week. Beloit Memorial’s girls host Badger on Friday.
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