It's a Big Week

In the prep sports coverage business, most weeks during the school year are the same. You pore through the week's schedule of events and find events to cover that are a) the most newsworthy; b) the most convenient (i.e. it's at a local school); and/or c) contains a local team you haven't given enough coverage to yet. (At our particular papers, I do my best to get a picture of each local team in action into the paper during their season if at all possible, while still trying to make sure the most newsworthy sporting events get coverage.)

This is not a complaint, by the way - it adds a layer of simplicity to a decidedly not-simple job to be able to find the schedule and pick the events to cover.

But the first week of playoff action is not the same. It's not even close.

This is especially the case in the springtime. In the fall and winter, the district rounds of playoff action are generally spread out. Football's playoffs start later than volleyball's, boys basketball playoffs start later than girls, and on and on. But in the spring, girls soccer, baseball and softball all play postseason games in the same week, most of them on the same days. So this means simplicity is out the window.

That day has arrived, as of next Tuesday at least, for me. Our eight schools will begin playoff action Tuesday with the pre-district rounds of baseball, softball and soccer. Thursday will be the girls soccer semifinal games, and Saturday will have the finals of all the events.

I'll utilize this blog to provide some extra updates. My coverage schedule so far is as follows:

Tuesday: I'll be at Hesperia vs. Oakridge baseball/softball pre-districts, while Andrew Skinner, the OHJ editor, will be at Walkerville vs. Pentwater baseball/softball. Greg Means, the Beacon editor, will be covering Mason Co. Eastern vs. Montague soccer.

Wednesday, I will most likely head down to Reeths-Puffer to cover their baseball game against Whitehall. The two teams added that game after both drew pre-district byes as a tune-up.

Thursday will have no local events, but Friday will have the MCE baseball district semifinals and finals, which David Bossick, the LDN sports editor, will cover. Saturday, I will be at the Orchard View district baseball/softball tournament to catch Whitehall, while Andrew Skinner will be at the Manistee district and the Hart soccer district final.

It's going to be fun, guys. Stay tuned.