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Sports

MHSA Board Approves Girls Flag Football Pilot Program, Co-ops

Pilot program would be funded by the Atlanta Falcons; Baseball committee will look at potential 2022 season

By Micah Drew

The MHSA executive board held a meeting on April 19-20 and released a summary of the actions taken.

The board announced a pilot program for girls flag football as an MHSA sanctioned activity. The release said the board approved the possibility of offering it this fall and it would be regulated in the same way as an activity such as cheerleading.

A mailer will be sent out with information on the pilot program and to gauge statewide interest in girls flag football this fall. MHSA will partner with the Atlanta Falcons and the Authur M. Blank Family Foundation to fund the program for the first two years.

The board also approved a measure adding a day to the All-Class State Wrestling Tournament while being held at the Metra in Billings if the tournament included boys and girls, and extend the tournament to three days, with the girls tournament beginning on Thursday.

Additionally, other measures approved included a number of co-ops. A co-op for Denton/Geyser/Stanford and Grass Range/Winnett was approved and will play the DGS schedule for Six-Man football.

A co-op for Custer/Hysham/Melstone was also approved for Six-Man football, while Superior/Alberton got approval for a co-op in girls and boys basketball. 

The MHSA executive board also approved an amendment for a first violation to the MHSA mask requirement for coaches and substitutes — upon a first violation, schools will be fined and reprimanded, and the program will be suspended after subsequent violations until a corrective plan is submitted.

MHSA executive director Mark Beckman mentioned in an email that a committee was being formed to study the feasibility of adding high school baseball. The committee was prompted by a December request from Stevensville High School Athletic Director Chance Edman.

The committee will meet in the fall and report to the Board during their November meeting with a proposal for members to vote on in January, with baseball to begin the next year following a favorable vote.