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DOWAGIAC — The Michigan High School Athletic Association’s Representative Council approved an updated winter sports postseason schedule, officials announced Thursday afternoon.

The updated schedule has the boys and girls basketball tournaments running concurrently all the way through the finals. Districts would begin the week of March 22. The wrestling and competitive cheer state tournaments would begin the week of March 15.

Boys and girls basketball postseason will run into what traditionally is the week of spring break for many area schools. According to the MHSAA, 63 percent of its member schools have spring break the week of March 29 through April 4.

In announcing the updated schedules, the state also said that spring sports practice would begin on its usual date of March 15.

“The majority of winter athletes will have completed their seasons by the end of March,” the MHSAA said in its press release on the winter sports schedule.

Niles Athletic Director Jeff Upton is looking forward to the athletes getting back to work.

“I am happy that at least now our kids now can get into the weight room and the wrestling room,” he said. “I am happy that we are able to get this far. I will be ecstatic when they start playing games. Bowling is on a roll. Bowling is open. We are going to have two weeks of practice before our first games if this goes as planned. I am happy.”

Upton said that everything will be better for the student-athletes as they return to preparing for the upcoming season.

“Our kids are better when they are practicing,” he said. “I am a little worried about the softball player who plays basketball, and softball starts tryouts in March, and the basketball district starts the next week. I am worried that they will be affected.”

Although no official word has come from the MHSAA about the number of fans allowed to watch games, Upton has heard approximately 100 fans will be allowed.

“That really is only parents,” he said. “That means I am going to have to clear the gym, I think, because if we have a tripleheader in basketball, they all cannot stay and watch the varsity game.”

Dowagiac Athletic Director Brent Nate is also concerned about winter sports spilling over into the springtime.

“I appreciate the idea of trying to maximize the winter sports seasons, but with that now you are running into spring sports times,” he said. “They are overlapping, and many of our athletes are multi-sport athletes, which is what the MHSAA, as well as us as a district promote as much as possible. That is going to make for tons of rescheduling for spring games as well.”

 

MHSAA Winter Postseason Schedule

Girls Basketball

• First non-contact practice: Jan. 16
• First contact practice: Feb. 1
• First contest: Feb. 4
• Districts: March 22, 24, 26
• Regionals: March 29, 31
• Quarterfinals: April 5
• Semifinals: April 7
• Finals: April 9

 

Boys Basketball

• First non-contact practice: Jan. 16
• First contact practice: Feb. 1
• First contest: Feb. 4
• Districts: March 23, 25, 27
• Regionals: March 30, April 1
• Quarterfinals: April 6
• Semifinals: April 8
• Finals: April 10

 

Competitive Cheer

• First non-contact practice: Jan. 16
• First contact practice: Feb. 1
• First contest: Feb. 8
• Districts: March 15-20
• Regionals: March 22-24
• Finals: March 26-27

 

Wrestling

• First non-contact practice: Jan. 16
• First contact practice: Feb. 1
• First contest: Feb. 8
• Districts: March 15-20
• Regionals: March 22-28
• Team Finals: March 31
• Individual Finals: April 2-3