12-07-2020 4:03pm

State Order Keeps High School Sports on Hold, But MHSAA Says It's Committed to Completing The Tournaments

High school sports are still shut down with the state announcing a 12-day extension of the epidemic order today.

The recent COVID-19 "pause" stopped the high school sports season as the Saline football team was preparing for the regional championship at Rockford and the girls swim and dive team was readying for the state meet. In addition, the winter sports seasons are on hold.

The order bans organized sports, including practices, until at least Dec. 21.

The Michigan High School Athletic Association, which governs the play of most high school sports in the state, presented Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services with a plan to complete the tournaments with no spectators, but the plan was not adopted.

“We realize the crisis our medical caregivers and first responders are navigating and understand the need to continue the pause. However, the MHSAA had provided a detailed plan to both Governor Whitmer and MDHHS that would have completed fall tournaments with no spectators as safely as possible during the month of December along with allowing winter sport practices to resume," MHSAA executive director Mark Uyl said. "While we are disappointed in today’s announcement, we will continue to look forward as we remain committed to play three sports seasons to their conclusion. The MHSAA Representative Council will meet on Wednesday of this week to chart out another plan for finishing Fall and restarting Winter.”

The MHSAA's representative council meets Wednesday to discuss plans for the conclusion of fall sports and the start of winter sports.

Last spring, when the COVID-19 pandemic began, the shutdowns ended the winter sports seasons as the girls basketball team was set to play for a regional championship and the boys swim and dive team was preparing for the state meet. The entire spring sports season was then canceled.