Revamped schedule for MN State Football Tournament semifinals

            As a result of the calendar-challenged weather system that dumped heavy, wet snow on portions of the state Monday and Tuesday of this week, the Minnesota State High School League has had to revamp the schedule for playing semifinal games of the 2014 State Football Tournament.

            A number of factors played a role in the decision-making process, including availability of sites, availability of personnel, field conditions, ability to prepare fields and stadiums, minimal disruptions to schools and communities, and moving games earlier in the day as much as possible due to expected cold weather.

            An early decision was made to scrap single games that had been scheduled at both the Edina Community Center and Wayzata High School. Now, those games will be played at different venues.

            The Class AAAAAA game between Maple Grove and Eden Prairie, which had been scheduled for 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 14, at Kuhlman Field adjacent to Edina Community Center, will now be played at 6 p.m. at Hopkins High School on Friday. The Class AAAA game between DeLaSalle and Hutchinson, which had been scheduled for 11 a.m. Saturday, Nov. 15, at Wayzata High School, will now be played at noon Saturday, Nov. 15, at Prior Lake High School.

            The other revisions to the schedule are:

            The Class AAAAAA game between Totino-Grace and Lakeville North scheduled for 7 p.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, at Osseo High School will start one hour earlier at 6 p.m.

            The Class AAAAA game between Spring Lake Park and Simley scheduled for 7 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, at Hopkins High School has been moved to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at Hopkins High School.

            The Class AAAA game between Becker and Stewartville scheduled for 6 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at Osseo High School will start 6 hours earlier at noon.

            The Class AAA game between Pierz and Rochester Lourdes scheduled for 8 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at St. Cloud State University will start instead at 5 p.m.

            The Class A game between Dawson-Boyd and Minneapolis North Community scheduled for 1 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at Hopkins High School will start one hour earlier at noon.

            The Class A game between Minneota and Braham scheduled for 5 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at St. Cloud State University, has been moved to 3 p.m., Saturday, Nov. 15, at Prior Lake High School.

            The Class 9-Man game between Edgerton/Ellsworth and Norman County East/Ulen-Hitterdal scheduled for 8 p.m., Friday, Nov. 14, at St. Cloud State University will start instead at noon.

            In deference to the number of details that still need to be resolved and to respect the limited amount of time available for Tournament Director Kevin Merkle to complete those tasks, individual one-on-one interview requests cannot be honored. However, media personnel are invited to the League office at 10 a.m., Thursday, Nov. 13, for a news conference-style Q & A session to obtain sound bites.