Skip to Main
Sports

Still On The Sidelines: JoBurg’s Smokevitch Coaches Team Over Zoom

JOHANNESBURG – Last Friday, Johannesburg-Lewiston won their first district title since 2012, defeating Beal City 28-21.

However, due to being quarantined, head coach Joe Smokevitch was unable to be at the game in-person. That didn’t stop him from being able to coach.

“It was really neat to have the technology to be able to do those things these days,” said Smokevitch.

Coach Smokevitch was able to set up Zoom during the game and have an iPad placed in the pressbox with other coaches to continue some of his coaching duties and watch the game.

After the game was over, he was able to celebrate with his team by placing the iPad on a music stand and bring it down to the field.

“They brought me down afterwards for the celebration and everything and the boys were coming up to the iPad ‘love ya Coach!’ ‘miss ya Coach!’ ‘that’s for you Coach!’ and that really tugged at the heartstrings,” added Smokevitch. “They were doing the team photo afterwards and that’s when they put me on the music stand down in front with the boys so I got to be in the team picture as well. So it was really special and my son who’s our ball boy he was here too so he was pretty excited he got to be a part of it too.”

With the win, the Cardinals move on to regionals and will play Iron Mountain. The game is TBD with new emergency order for the state of Michigan that has suspended high school sports.

 

Local Trending News