In accordance with Executive Order 20-99 issued Wednesday, Nov. 18 by Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Minnesota State High School League is provided guidance via news release to its more than 500 member schools.
The Executive Order is in effect from 11:59 p.m. on Friday, Nov. 20 through Friday, Dec. 18.
Volleyball regular season will end Friday. Section football competition will be completed Friday.
The varsity volleyball season is already done for Hancock due to a member testing positive. Morris/C-A volleyball will wrap up its season against Minnewaska Thursday, Nov. 19 and CGB Friday, Nov. 20.
Both Hancock and Morris/C-A football teams were scheduled to play in the semifinals Saturday afternoon. With the order, those games were moved up and for Morris/C-A changed completely.
Morris/C-A will now play No. 2 Paynesville for the Section 5AA championship title Friday, Nov. 20. Kick-off at 5 p.m. at Big Cat Stadium in Morris.
“Obviously, moving things up and taking a game out of the equation is tough,” Tiger coach Kevin Pope said. “I do think it’s a great opportunity for the one and two seeds to play a rematch of a good game from earlier in the year… It’s always our goal every year to play for hardware and a section championship.”
Kimball and Eden Valley-Watkins will play for third place in the section Friday.
Hancock will play Ortonville at 6 p.m. Friday, Nov. 20, in Hancock. Unofficially, if the Owls win, they will be named the Section 4 9-man champions with an undefeated 7-0 record. Then the winners of No. 2 Verndale and No. 3 Wheaton/Herman-Norcross would then receive a “section finalist” trophy.
“It would be nice for the kids especially to be able to go out as a section champions,” Owl Chad Christianson said with a win Friday and the scenario of the Section 4 9-man tournament played out in that way. Again, it’s unofficial, but “things are leaning that way,” Christianson added.
Other winter sports will have the start of their seasons delayed by this order. Additional guidance from the league will come by the end of the week.