Bailey Griffith’s senior year took a tailspin when she tore her anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) on Feb. 18 during Marmaton Valley’s senior night game against Chetopa.
The injury derailed her hopes to lead the Wildcats onto a playoff push, as well as her dreams for one last season on the track in the orange and black. But a month later, none of it really mattered.
The COVID-19 pandemic has shuttered Kansas schools for the remainder of the school year, including the spring sports season.
“I am kind of happy about it because I didn’t have to watch people compete in the sport that I loved,” Griffith said. “I’d just be sitting there, and watch my place being taken.”
In the fall, Griffith showcased her athletic ability during the Wildcats’ volleyball season. And while MVHS stood under .500 at 15-21, she was pleased with her teammates’ progress.
“We definitely improved a lot more this year than what we have done in the past,” Griffith said.
Heading into the basketball season, Griffith and her Wildcat teammates planned to make the same strides as they did in volleyball. And as the season progressed, Griffith witnessed the improvement.
“We were actually doing really good!” Griffith emphasized. “We were planning on placing pretty high in our league, or better than we have normally done. People weren’t expecting us to do very well, but we ended up surprising some people.”
For Griffith, her personal highlight of the season came against Pleasanton during the Blu-Jays’ midseason tournament. More known for her ability to score on the inside, Griffith showed off her ability to fire from deep. 
Griffith connected on four 3-pointers, scoring 16 points to lead Marmaton Valley to a 34-29 victory in the first round of the midseason classic in January. But less than a month later, Griffith’s season was over, and her teammates felt her pain.
“Some of them didn’t react, and then there were some that were really sad, especially because it was on senior night,” Griffith said. “The next few games, they were like ‘we just want to win for you because you are the only senior on the team, and we just want to show you that we are here for you.’”
Not being able to compete side-by-side with her teammates was the ultimate pain, and the way the Wildcats’ season ended didn’t make matters any better.
In Marmaton Valley’s regional semifinal against Southern Coffey County, the Wildcats fell victim to a buzzer beater, losing 37-35. All Griffth could do was sit and watch.
“It was very hard to watch them play after my whole thing,” Griffith said. “Just sitting there in the stands, on the bench — I’ve never sat on the bench, so it was weird for me.”
While her high school career ended on a sour note, Griffith will get the chance to run it back. She plans on attending Neosho Community College on a basketball scholarship. A goal she once worried might never come true.
