Updated 2/7/2021 8:03 AM
Hersey High School s Griffin Grinder took the ball strong to the basket. Glenbrook South s Brandon Ballarini and Rodell Davis Jr. met him just as strongly.
Whacked across the face, Grinder s protective mask dropped below his nose and mouth.
Masks slipped or were worn incorrectly numerous times in Wednesday s season opener, players first since COVID-19 shut down high school basketball nearly as soon as it began in November.
It often happened without any contact at all, calling into question the effectiveness of state health guidelines for resumption of sports and safety of players. In 18 Daily Herald photos from that game between the Arlington Heights and Glenview schools and from Thursday s boys basketball matchup between Prospect High School in Mount Prospect and Notre Dame in Niles, all but one show one or more players with masks worn in a way that exposed noses and sometimes mouths.