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Athletic Director Provides Positive, Extensive Sports Update

Student Athlete Academic Eligibility at 99%

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By DIANNE ALWARD-BIERY

Cleaver Senior Staff Writer

HARRISON – The Oct. 14 meeting of the Harrison Area Community Schools Board of Education kicked of with a definite sports theme with a group of the district’s athletes: youth cheerleaders, high school cheerleaders and three cross-country runners leading the Pledge of Allegiance.

Athletic Director Brad Carlstrom then provided the Board with an update on the district’s athletics program – a rather lengthy and positive summary of achievement. He noted that JV and high school level volleyball teams were playing that evening at Ogemaw Heights, adding that there are 21 high school volleyball players. Carlstrom said that looking at the eighth-grade numbers this year, he expects there could be a freshman team next year.

“Conference realignment is going well,” he said. “Especially with no quads for our scheduling, it makes it a lot smoother schedule.” That has resulted in shorter game nights, for which a lot of positive compliments had been received. “But they’re competing night in and night out … we’re very excited about our volleyball program.”

Carlstrom noted this year’s Districts will be held in Farwell, and will include Beal City, Beaverton, Farwell, Harrison, Pinconning and Sanford. He said that scoring for volleyball has been switched, and once that’s completed a schedule will be sent for the event slated to be held the first week in November.

The next sport addressed was cross country, which Carlstrom said is seeing the highest participation Harrison’s had in at least three years. He noted one of the Harrison Middle School runners had broken the Middle School record the previous weekend, which he also deemed “exciting.”

“Oct. 26 the Regionals will be at East Jordan,” he said. “Once we get the schedule for that, all of our runners will go run in the Regionals at East Jordan.”

Carlstrom reported there are 22 cheerleaders at the high school level who had been cheering at all home JV games and all home and away varsity games. He said there are a total of 46 JV and varsity athletes, with JV football sitting at 5:2, and varsity undefeated.

“We are the 2024 Jack Pine Conference Division 2 champions,” Carlstrom said, adding that the Hornets would be playing Ogemaw Heights the coming Friday. He noted that Ogemaw Heights had lost to Standish Sterling the previous Friday, but were the “big seed in Division 2” and Harrison would be playing them for the Overall Jack Pine Conference Championship.

“It’s extremely exciting,” Carlsrom said. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been in that situation.” [Unfortunately, that game saw Harrison fall on a score of 64-28.]

Carlstrom further reported that overall participation in fall sports sits at about 33% at the high school, which he said was on par nationally and slightly below the Michigan average of 40%.

“But once winter sports begin, we’ll pick up some more athletes,” he said. “With skiing, bowling and basketball, we’ll have other opportunities for kids and hopefully we can hit that 40%.”

Another point of pride expressed by Carlstrom was that 99% of the district’s athletes had been academically eligible all season, smiling and describing it as “a pretty good number.”

He also acknowledged the addition of three new scoreboard sponsors: Members First Credit Union at the football field; S&S Collision and Federal Broach in the gym. Contributions from Snowbird Lanes and the Harrison Sports Boosters resulted in another addition to sports: a new LED scorer’s table for the high school gym, with the old one moved to the middle school.

More good news came when Carlstrom reported Harrison being selected to receive $5,000 from the T-Mobile Friday Night 5G Lights Sweepstakes, which he said would be used for the football program.

Also new are two new HUDL live-stream cameras at the football field and one in the high school gym which will serve much better than what was used previously.

Carlstrom then spoke of the new flag at the football field provided by the Boosters and others.

“We’re excited for the fall season to keep going and what the future holds,” he said. “And winter sports is next.”

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