It came as quite the surprise right around last Easter when the announcement was made that Bishop Ford H.S., Park Slope, would be closing after serving the Diocese of Brooklyn for 52 years.

And though the physical building may have closed its doors to students, the traces of the school still linger throughout Brooklyn and Queens.

In the wake of Ford’s closing, the other Catholic high schools of the diocese graciously opened their doors to the former Falcons, many of whom have been able to continue playing sports in their new environment.

Still, the initial shock of finding out that the school would close took awhile to sink in for many student-athletes.

“For lack of a better word, it was heartbreaking,” said Jeremiah Jones, a former Falcon who played varsity football this past season as a junior outside linebacker for Holy Cross H.S., Flushing. “Nobody wants to hear that your school is closing.”

“I was so upset,” said Jennifer Bove, now a senior right-side hitter for the Bishop Kearney H.S., Bensonhurst, varsity volleyball team. “I was confused and didn’t know what was going on. I was so upset with the thought of not going to Ford for my senior year.”

Bishop Ford’s varsity basketball team finished as the runner-up in the CHSAA Class ‘A’ city championship in 2014, so the players were eager to continue their growth to make another run at a championship this year.

That unfortunately will not happen, but a few Falcons are still able to call each other teammates. Seniors Devin Dingle and Dior Dixon and junior Israel Farrington all enrolled at Bishop Loughlin M.H.S., Fort Greene, which in total accepted 113 transfer students from Ford.

“All three of us bonded together at Bishop Ford,” said Dixon, a guard. “Just having them here is really good. Just being with them … I’m happy to be here.”

Playing sports undoubtedly helped these student-athletes ease their transition into their new surroundings. Tryouts and practices for fall sports typically begin in mid- August, so those extra few weeks allowed the students to familiarize themselves with their new schools.

“Playing a sport, you get to meet a lot of the girls outside the school atmosphere,” said Bove, who fell in love with Bishop Kearney upon visiting the school for an interview. “Especially with volleyball, I met a lot of the girls beforehand, so I wasn’t as nervous in coming here.”

For some, playing sports also allowed them to have friends in many other schools in the first place. So when Bishop Ford closed, current senior and track runner at Bishop Kearney Lisa Fajardo knew she would feel at home for her final year in high school.