SENIOR WEEKS: Kennett senior Sharp trying to look forward after disappointment of cancelled season
When the rug is pulled out from under you, the finality of the outcome can be too much to handle.
That’s what it felt like for Kennett baseballl senior Louis Sharp on April 9, when the PIAA announced that the spring sports season would be cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
For a few weeks prior to decision day, Sharp and his Kennett teammates were holding out hope the season would start
“It was extremely devastating when the PIAA finally said there would be no season,” Sharp said. “We really thought we were going to have a good team this season and we felt we could make it to districts. So when it was finally said there would be no season, it was heartbreaking to hear that.”
Sharp is the glue of the Kennett infield and Blue Demons coach Joe Oleykowski knew how much the slick fielding Sharp brought to his improving team.
“Louis is not the flashiest shortstop and his numbers will never pop out at a “showcase” but he is the type of player your team needs to win games,” Oleykowski said. “He is the anchor of our defense and he makes every play look routine. He is also the catalyst for our offense. He is always on base and Louis will be a big loss for our team next year. He will be very hard to replace.”
Sharp says that he takes his role as the leader of the Blue Demons defense seriously, and while he may not be the most vocal leader, he is a leader on the field nonetheless.
“I am by nature pretty quiet,” Sharp said. “I am not real vocal but I try to lead by example. I try to get to every ground ball and make every play I can to pick up my pitcher and my teammates. I really thought we were going to start the season late and I was working out like we would play this season and taking a lot of infield practice. So to hear the season was off, it was really awful. We as a senior class were very excited about our team this year. We won a couple of games late last season and we thought we had enough pitching to win a lot of games this season.”
Next fall, Sharp will be attending Immaculata University and the Blue Demons senior is very happy with his college choice.
“I was looking at a lot schools,” Sharp says. “And I really liked Immaculata and the head coach was super. He made me feel really at home when I went there and I also wanted a school that was not too big and the fact that it is close to home was important to me also. I want my family to see me play and I really felt comfortable when I visited there.”
