Trending
MARSHALL - Last month, the Minnesota State High School League announced changes to its section alignment that will go into effect this fall.
According to the MSHSL, it reclassifies teams into new competitive sections every two years.
Reclassification and realignment can come from enrollment changes, new programs and changes to cooperative agreements between schools.
Section placements are determined by geography. When making changes, the league tries to move as few schools as possible.
Sections are numerically balanced within a section and competitive success is not a factor when placing teams.
The league was directed to just adjust the maps to bring sections back into numerical balance rather than redraw the maps from scratch. As a result, less than 10 percent of MSHSL teams across all sports changed class or section.
Every assignment was made by Chris Franson of the MSHSL, who used the same assignment process for over 8,000 assignments on 74 maps.
Once Franson completed the assignments, they were reviewed by league staff members, the Athletic Director Advisory Committee and the MSHSL Board of Directors.
The Changes
VOLLEYBALL
For the last two seasons, Marshall volleyball played in Section 2AAA. With an enrollment of 710, the Tigers were in a section with schools three to four times larger than them, such as Minnetonka (2,940), Eden Prairie (2,777) and Prior Lake (2,354).
Marshall was the smallest school in Class AAA, and was in a section with some of the biggest and best volleyball programs in the state.
"The real challenge for us playing in AAA was the fact that we were placed in Section 2AAA," Marshall volleyball coach Dan Westby said. "The team that wins that section really runs the gauntlet. There were teams in that section with multiple Division I players on their rosters.
Westby added that the changing landscape of single-sport specialization has changed the landscape of Minnesota high school volleyball, especially in the Twin Cities area.
That change has made it very difficult for Marshall to keep up with the biggest schools in the state.
"From 2000 to 2014 we were fortunate to advance to the state tournament, and the first six years of that streak we were in the big class," Westby said. "In 2004, we won the big class. What’s changed in the last decade is the Junior Olympic landscape in Minnesota. The larger clubs in Minnesota have really created more and more specialization among volleyball players.
"In a school the size of Marshall, we need our kids playing multiple sports. We just can’t afford to have our athletes limiting themselves to one sport. For that reason, AA is probably a better fit for Marshall."
For the next two seasons, Marshall will be the biggest school in Section 3AA.
Still, the change puts Marshall much closer in size to some of the other schools in the section, such as Worthington (663) and New Ulm (599).
"Getting to the state tournament is always the goal," Westby said. "It is going to be a challenge. There are some tremendous programs in Class AA and in Section 3AA. Volleyball in this part of the state is highly respected by those in the volleyball community."
FOOTBALL
With schools changing classifications, Section 3A will look a lot different in football this fall. Only four teams remain from the group that made up the section last season: Adrian, MCC, Sleepy Eye and Springfield.
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton moved up to Section 3AA while Red Rock Central, Russell-Tyler-Ruthton and Sleepy Eye St. Mary's will all play 9-man football in Section 2.
The four new Section 3A programs this fall will be Cedar Mountain/Comfrey (moved from Section 5A), Minnesota Valley Lutheran (moved from Section 2A), New Ulm Cathedral (moved from Section 2A), and Wabasso.
Wabasso was in Section 5A for the previous two years, but coach Joe Kemp expected his team would switch sections due to all of the changes in Section 3A. He added that being in Section 5A forced the Rabbits to improve its play, and the move will bring more tough competition.
"Section 5A was a murderer's row last year with six really tough teams in it. And if you have expectations as a program then you have to rise to that level. Being in Section 5A really forced us as a program to just plain get better," Kemp said. "I think there will be a lot of quality teams in Section 3A by the end of the season. MCC had a great run last year. New Ulm Cathedral, Adrian and Springfield traditionally have been tough programs. All in all, play in this section will be very competitive as all the teams are well-coached and will get their teams to where they need to be to have a shot."
Departures of Wabasso and Cedar Mountain/Comfrey created room for Lakeview and Yellow Medicine East. Both schools played football in Class AA for the past two seasons, but will compete in Section 5A for the next two football seasons.
Both Lakeview and YME will now be in Class A for all sports, a fit that YME athletic director Tim Knapper believes is better for a school of YME's size.
"There are obviously very good teams and programs in both Class AA and Class A, but it will be nice to not compete with schools that are almost twice your size at playoff time," he said.
TMB
Tracy-Milroy-Balaton currently plays in Class AA in boys and girls basketball, but next year will also be making the move up from Class A in football, baseball, softball and girls golf.
"We have gone back and forth over the years, as we seem to be right on the edge of A and AA," TMB athletic director Bill Tauer said. "Unfortunately, we won’t see any of our conference schools in section play, and playing AA means we will see larger schools and have more travel for section play."
However, one TMB program will be moving down. Wrestling will now compete in Class A. TMB is in a cooperative agreement with Westbrook-Walnut Grove in wrestling.
For TMB/WWG coach Karl Campbell, he thinks the biggest difference won't be in section competition, but once players get to the state tournament.
"Worthington this year is a prime example of this," Campbell said. "They had a fantastic season, but only won three individual matches in two duals at the state level. We just feel that staying in Class A is what is best for our kids right now."