Unfair Scheduling Benefits Dakota Prairie

[Johnny]

Hey, what's the deal with Dakota Prairie getting 7 of 10 district games at home this year? Even crazier is the fact that ALL 4 of their 2 point games ARE AT HOME!! They have 3 home and away series games.

I was told that because of a change just this year, teams who had to play at DP last year in a 2 point game have to play another 2 point game this year. And to top it all off, they are not even in that district next year so there is no chance to even try to even it out then.

If you have not been in that gym, you may not understand what a home court advantage that hole is. Now they have a lead in the race for the first seed and are going to be tough to unseed even this early in the season.

Someone pulled a big one over the eyes of the NDHSAA.

[Swine]

I would have to guess they played seven road games then last year. That is usually how it works.

[ndlionsfan]

First of all, DP plays 3 of their dist opponents home and away this year. So that accounts for 3 of the home games. Yes, all four of their other dist opponents that they only play once are at DP this year. All that means is all four will probably be away games next year. Just a scheduling quirk. The NDHSAA has nothing to do with scheduling. That is up to the district and the individual schools. Also, DP is not moving out of that district next year. The NDHSAA decided to wait with that decision for another year.

[4thegame]

Don't forget that Larimore beat DP by 20 plus in the championship game in Devils Lake, and they have to play Larimore twice. All hope is not lost for a district title. As for an unfair advantage in their gym. you cannot go around calling other peoples home gyms "a hole." I would be more concerned with teams that have been able to play districts and regionals in there same town/on their own home court. that is the true unfair advantage.

[foreversioux]

Both school's atheletic directors ok and finalize schedules. Hillsboro's ad, MPCG's ad and Thompson's ad agreed with playing DP in McVille once during regular season. And Hillsboro is no stranger to homecourt advantage...Volleyball district tourney for example.

I was surprised at Hillsboro's lack of fan's at the game last night. Sad. DP's homecourt advantage is our fans...and we travel!! See you at districts. In Mayville!

[wolfstanson]

Sour grapes, and that gym is really a "hole" in comparison to all the other gyms in the district? Also, PRAIRIE. Not a complicated word to misspell repeatedly.

[4thegame]

Both school's atheletic directors ok and finalize schedules. Hillsboro's ad, MPCG's ad and Thompson's ad agreed with playing DP in McVille once during regular season. And Hillsboro is no stranger to homecourt advantage...Volleyball district tourney for example.

I was surprised at Hillsboro's lack of fan's at the game last night. Sad. DP's homecourt advantage is our fans...and we travel!! See you at districts. In Mayville!

i was thinking more along the lines of grafton and mayville for basketball.

[The Schwab]

Both school's atheletic directors ok and finalize schedules. Hillsboro's ad, MPCG's ad and Thompson's ad agreed with playing DP in McVille once during regular season. And Hillsboro is no stranger to homecourt advantage...Volleyball district tourney for example.

I was surprised at Hillsboro's lack of fan's at the game last night. Sad. DP's homecourt advantage is our fans...and we travel!! See you at districts. In Mayville!

i was thinking more along the lines of grafton and mayville for basketball.

It's not played on MPCG's home court, so i dont consider it an advantage...where do you suggest they hold districts? Grafton is another story...I don't agree with that at all

[pakkyzoo]

Both school's atheletic directors ok and finalize schedules. Hillsboro's ad, MPCG's ad and Thompson's ad agreed with playing DP in McVille once during regular season. And Hillsboro is no stranger to homecourt advantage...Volleyball district tourney for example.

I was surprised at Hillsboro's lack of fan's at the game last night. Sad. DP's homecourt advantage is our fans...and we travel!! See you at districts. In Mayville!

i was thinking more along the lines of grafton and mayville for basketball.

It's not played on MPCG's home court, so i dont consider it an advantage...where do you suggest they hold districts? Grafton is another story...I don't agree with that at all

I do agree with the homecourt advantage, but its like this accross the state. I am sure there are more teams that get to have the district tournament on their home floor. I remember New Rockford used to host regionals and districts for Girls basketball in district 7. I am not sure if they still do, but they used to back in the 90's. Grafton can hold the largest crowd for District 4, so they hold it.

[Hinsa]

Both school's atheletic directors ok and finalize schedules. Hillsboro's ad, MPCG's ad and Thompson's ad agreed with playing DP in McVille once during regular season. And Hillsboro is no stranger to homecourt advantage...Volleyball district tourney for example.

I was surprised at Hillsboro's lack of fan's at the game last night. Sad. DP's homecourt advantage is our fans...and we travel!! See you at districts. In Mayville!

Hillsboro's fans run into the same problem as all small schools - the fan base is stretched thin. There was supposed to be a wrestling meet last night (cancelled late), there was junior high basketball going on, and the girls were at DP, the longest road trip for Hillsboro. So it's not so much a lack of support as it is that the fans are spread out across many different activities.

[foreversioux]

Let's make our district regular season play even more interesting. Higher seed has home court for districts. Then each community would have a chance to benefit from tourney....

Gym-size-wise NOT possible. But works with football. Outdoors much bigger

And MPCG still have somewhat of an advantage at districts...hometown (if not court) game, easier for fans and team traveling back and forth.

[pakkyzoo]

I do remember KVLY interviewing Coach Nelson about 3 years back, and in the background his team was practicing on the Mayville state basketball floor.

[ndlionsfan]

Yeah, when I was in college they practiced there quite a bit. I think they had an agreement with the college to use the gym to help with practice scheduling. Since they've built another gym at the elementary school a few years ago, I don't know if they still have the agreement with the college. Who knows tho...

[bigpoppakdog]

for what its worth our boys had their first home game Jan. 16th. Scheduling quirk like someone else said.

[Johnny]

[quote="ndlionsfan"]. All that means is all four will probably be away games next year. Just a scheduling quirk.

Untrue. That is the point. This year has DP at home for the second year in a row for a 2 point game against 2 of those 4 teams . And next year is always wide open for more of this inequity. Blame it on the athletic directors or coaches if you want but I would not call it a "quirk".

[The Schwab]

Yeah, when I was in college they practiced there quite a bit. I think they had an agreement with the college to use the gym to help with practice scheduling. Since they've built another gym at the elementary school a few years ago, I don't know if they still have the agreement with the college. Who knows tho...

I've been at mayville for 3 years and I've never seen them practice there since the addition of the elementary gym

[ndlionsfan]

. All that means is all four will probably be away games next year. Just a scheduling quirk.

Untrue. That is the point. This year has DP at home for the second year in a row for a 2 point game against 2 of those 4 teams . And next year is always wide open for more of this inequity. Blame it on the athletic directors or coaches if you want but I would not call it a "quirk".

Well, then you have to blame it on the AD's at each school. They are the ones that make the schedules and agree where to play the games.

[sport]

. All that means is all four will probably be away games next year. Just a scheduling quirk.

Untrue. That is the point. This year has DP at home for the second year in a row for a 2 point game against 2 of those 4 teams . And next year is always wide open for more of this inequity. Blame it on the athletic directors or coaches if you want but I would not call it a "quirk".

Well, then you have to blame it on the AD's at each school. They are the ones that make the schedules and agree where to play the games.

I'm sure that DP's Athletic Director didn't realize the 4 2 point games that were scheduled . As far as the gym goes I doubt that that had much to do with the outcome, everyone that I have visited with said that game was won on rebounding. You cannot give a team like DP several chances at the basket.

[Johnny]

As far as the gym goes I doubt that that had much to do with the outcome, everyone that I have visited with said that game was won on rebounding. You cannot give a team like DP several chances at the basket.

Bad choice of words to call it a hole. Too bad for the kids that the residents and voters make the kids play there.

[pakkyzoo]

Dakota Prairie's gym might not be the best floor or have the most room for seating. But anybody thats been there when DP has a good team (boys or girls) and are playing another highly ranked team, that place has a pretty good atmosphere. It is packed from the stage to the hallways. You can even ask "the schwab" he has seen it first hand. I wouldn't call it a hole, I have played in a lot worse gyms than that accross the region.

[Johnny]

My bad - bad choice of words to call it a hole.

[basketball]

Its the worst gym that I have seen in that area. Everyone in Distict 3 has nice gyms besides them.

[The Schwab]

Dakota Prairie's gym might not be the best floor or have the most room for seating. But anybody thats been there when DP has a good team (boys or girls) and are playing another highly ranked team, that place has a pretty good atmosphere. It is packed from the stage to the hallways. You can even ask "the schwab" he has seen it first hand. I wouldn't call it a hole, I have played in a lot worse gyms than that accross the region.

Dakota Prarie's gym is probably the toughest place to play in region 2. Beating them in McVille is almost impossible, Although when i was a senior we did beat them in McVille when they had a pretty darn good team

[4thegame]

Its the worst gym that I have seen in that area. Everyone in Distict 3 has nice gyms besides them.

so what exactly don't you like about their gym?

[sport]

Its the worst gym that I have seen in that area. Everyone in Distict 3 has nice gyms besides them.

so what exactly don't you like about their gym?

The gym is what it is, there really is no way to fix it. For starters for the communities sake, just looking at the crowd I have noticed alot of elderly folks. I would think they would like to have a gym without the steps going up, and then having to go down 2 sets of steps to get your bag of Popcorn and to use the restrooms. I know that DP has alot of history in that gym, but when you talk of home court advantage because of the crowd, you only have like 4 rows of bleachers on each side which are 2 x 10's with carpet on them, the reason it is so loud is because of the size of the gym. In all of the games I have watched, the away team seems to struggle shooting on the stage end. Talking with the players they seem to have problems with depth perception of the dark color and the fact that the proximity of the stage and bleachers within, are right next to the 1 foot out of bounds line. The gym is not friendly for Volleyball either due to the height of the ceiling. But like I said before the gym is what it is, there isn't a fix for it, unless the community wants to build a new one, and with such a proud community why wouldn't they .