Area high schools working to fill basketball schedules for new North Dakota 3-class system

FARGO — Eileen Larson is in her first yr because the athletic director for Lidgerwood Excessive College and is planning for subsequent season’s transfer to three-class basketball in North Dakota.

Whereas the Wyndmere-Lidgerwood-Hankinson women basketball crew was listed in Class A, Area 1 within the lately permitted three-class system that begins in 2023-2024, Larson is scheduling video games as a Class B, Area 1 program. Lidgerwood-Wyndmere is within the means of dissolving its co-op with Hankinson to maneuver again into the division with faculties which have the smallest enrollments.

“Everybody in our area knew that was going to occur,” Larson mentioned.

The co-op lasted one season and Larson mentioned the colleges entered the settlement with the understanding the co-op would dissolve if it moved this system out of Class B beneath a three-class system.

Larson has scheduled 10 video games for the ladies program as of this week, with 9 extra video games to fill for subsequent season’s schedule. She’s wanting on the change as a possibility to reassess how this system has scheduled video games up to now.

“We’re ranging from scratch. Is there something we need to do otherwise?” Larson mentioned. “It’s the problem of the choices and the problem of the gap.”

Space faculties from all three divisions — Class AA, Class A and Class B — are transferring towards finishing their basketball schedules for subsequent season with the three-class plan gaining approval in early February. Class AA and Class A can schedule 21 video games within the common season, whereas Class B groups can schedule 19.

“Hillsboro-Central Valley faculties would have most well-liked that it waited another yr,” mentioned Hillsboro-Central athletic director Dave Nelson. “After they mentioned they had been going to go along with it, everybody needed to hit the bottom operating. It’s the hand we’re dealt so we’ve bought to take care of it.”

Hillsboro-Central Valley was in Class B and now’s within the Class A center division within the new three-class plan. The Burros are in Class A, Area 2, which has six groups. Devils Lake, Grafton, 4 Winds-Minnewaukan, Carrington and Thompson are additionally in that area.

Nelson mentioned he’s set the ladies schedule for subsequent season, whereas the boys crew has 20 video games slated with another to fill. Nelson added it’s been more durable to seek out opponents for his boys crew — which was a perennial energy in Class B in current seasons — due to the less groups in Class A.

“I’m attempting to fill primarily with Class A groups,” Nelson mentioned of the boys schedule. “It’ll ultimately work its means out. It’s not enjoyable to must blow up your girls and boys schedule and redo all of them, however it should fall collectively and will probably be simply high-quality ultimately.”

Nelson mentioned for his women program, he targeted on attempting to play extra Class B groups and didn’t schedule some opponents in its area twice, significantly the stronger packages.

“Our women simply aren’t as aggressive as they should be and I want to seek out some video games that we might be extra aggressive in,” Nelson mentioned. “It doesn’t assist our program and it’s not good for these faculties both. … It’s good for us to try to discover some video games with the Class B faculties which might be extra at our degree proper now. As time goes on we have to get higher and get our women program as much as the purpose the place we will compete with these Class A faculties in our area and all through the state, hopefully.”

Hankinson athletic director Sarah Pohl mentioned the boys program is one recreation in need of a full schedule for subsequent season. Pohl added it’s unlikely the ladies program can have a varsity crew subsequent season after the co-op with Wyndmere-Lidgerwood dissolves.

“We might be able to have a sub-varsity crew,” Pohl mentioned. “These video games could be one thing I must schedule independently of the district. The varsity board is planning to decide concerning the upcoming women season on the March college board assembly.

“The potential of a sub-varsity crew subsequent yr is a extra optimistic outlook than the place we had been a yr in the past. We have now extra curiosity in enjoying within the youthful grades.”

Pohl agreed with Larson that one of many challenges is scheduling Area 1 opponents exterior of District 1, the place each packages reside. Some District 2 opponents are practically three hours away.

“One of many challenges for us is attempting to schedule video games with District 2,” Pohl mentioned. “Since they make up the opposite half of our area, it could be good to get some video games in with them, however most of them are 2-1/2 to three hours away.”

The Class AA division stays largely the identical and the Japanese Dakota Convention will go from 12 groups to 9 subsequent season. Todd Olson, the director of pupil actions for Fargo Public Faculties, mentioned in January the EDC put collectively 12-team and nine-team schedules to be ready if the three-class system gained approval for subsequent season.

Olson mentioned all groups will play a 16-game league schedule (a double round-robin) together with two video games in opposition to Western Dakota Affiliation groups. That leaves three video games for particular person faculties to schedule to fill out a 21-game slate.

“Now everyone has the pliability with these ultimate three to do what matches their program,” Olson mentioned. “Some packages could select to schedule video games with the Class A groups, that center division. … I feel there will probably be sufficient on the market. Sometimes we will discover the video games.”

Olson mentioned he would have most well-liked to have the three-class system begin for the 2024-2025 season when Minot North is added to the WDA.

“It was fairly properly supported throughout the state and I perceive why it occurred as shortly because it did,” Olson added.

Wahpeton goes to be within the Class A division, center division, after competing within the EDC and division with the biggest enrollments. The Huskies are in Area 1 with Valley Metropolis, Central Cass, Kindred, Lisbon, Northern Cass and Fargo Oak Grove.

Wahpeton athletic director Mike McCall mentioned he has round 18 video games scheduled for each the girls and boys packages. The Huskies have checked out Minnesota groups, Class AA faculties and Class A groups from different areas to fill the remaining schedule.

“On the finish of the day, I imagine we’ll get our 21 video games and we’ll have a whole schedule and a aggressive schedule and we’ll go from there,” McCall mentioned. “It’s simply led to extra steps than we’ve usually needed to take.”

Wyndmere athletic director Scott Strenge is placing collectively the boys schedule for Lidgerwood-Wyndmere. Strenge mentioned he has 16 video games on the schedule with three extra to seek out. He could be open to enjoying opponents in Minnesota and South Dakota if wanted.

“It simply takes time,” Strenge mentioned. “It’s important to discover the colleges that may play you and as you get nearer to filling out your schedule it’s discovering dates that work.”

Strenge doesn’t assume transferring to a few courses subsequent season is simply too quickly.

“I feel it’s been overdue,” Strenge mentioned. “It’ll all pan out ultimately so far as getting groups to play us. I don’t assume it’s that rushed as a result of we knew there was an opportunity we had been going to do that.”