MHSAA Approves HS Hockey Tourney Seeding – Monday Sports Wrap

High School

High school hockey regional tournaments will be seeded for the first time this coming school year. At its recent spring meeting, the Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Representative Council approved a plan to place the top two teams in opposite brackets, setting up potential showdowns in the regional championship games. The remainder of the teams in each region will be assigned to games via random draws.
It’s the same system that was applied to the high school basketball tournament for the first time this past season. The council also voted to award byes to the top-seeded hockey and basketball teams in cases where the tournament field is not full.

High school football and basketball players will also be able to take advantage of some additional game time. Football players will be able to compete in as much as five quarters per week. Basketball players will be able to take part in as much as five quarters per day. The previous limit for each sport was four. The change will allow small school coaches to lend players from their varsity teams to provide depth on the junior varsity squads, and bring JV players up to varsity games to serve as backups.

The 50-point mercy rule for football games will now be able to be enforced as soon as that margin is reached. Until now, it could not be invoked until the second half. The 35-point mercy rule will still not be invoked until the second half. The difference between the rules is that the 50-point running clock stops only for player injuries. The 35-point running clock also stops for times out, scoring plays and penalty enforcement.

In alpine skiing, the council ruled that athletes who qualify for an MHSAA final in one discipline (giant slalom or slalom) may compete in both disciplines at the finals.

Calumet High School senior Nick Djerf has accepted a congressional appointment to the US Coast Guard Academy. Djerf earned numerous honors in football, hockey and track for the Copper Kings. He will continue to compete in those sports at the academy in New London, Connecticut. Djerf also received multiple academic awards, and will graduate with a grade point average of 3.961.

MLB

The number of games in this year’s Major League Baseball season could be cut roughly in half, in a proposal the owners are expected to present to the players union this week. The plan would have each teams play 80 games, against only regional competition, to limit travel. Training camp would begin in June, with the first games in early July. The minor league season would be canceled, and major league rosters would be expanded.

Meanwhile, team owners have agreed to hold the entry draft as scheduled on June 10th, but limit it to five rounds, instead of the usual 40.

ORV

The ORV route between Hancock and Dollar Bay will remain closed indefinitely. Testing last summer discovered asbestos and chemical contamination along two-thirds of a mile of the trail as it passes the Julio Construction Company and the adjoining scrapyard. The trail was opened to snowmobile traffic through the winter, because snow covered the tainted dirt. With no way to protect users in the summer, and with no bypass available, officials have shut down the entire length of the trail. They hope to have a solution in place by the end of the summer, but admit that progress has been slowed because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Finlandia

The Finlandia University baseball team has introduced another recruit. Nick Savoie is a shortstop from Iowa, Louisiana.

Bryce Tracey will join the Finlandia men’s hockey team. Tracey is a forward from Lincoln, New Brunswick, Canada. He played for the Kingsville Kings in the Greater Metro Junior A Hockey League last season.

MTU

Michigan Tech basketball player Kyle Monroe has earned yet another honor. He’s been named NCAA Division II Men’s Player of the Year by the Wisconsin Basketball Coaches Association. Monroe was the Great Lakes Intercollegiate Athletic Conference Player of the Year, and set new Tech and league scoring records. Monroe was eliguible for the Wisconsin award because he is from Green Bay.

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