MHSA Adds Basketball Shot Clock, Baseball
There will be some changes in the Montana High School Association (MHSA) next year, starting with the decision to add a shot clock to high school basketball games, according to a report from MontanaSports.com.The decision on whether or not to implement high school basketball shot clocks came down to a simple majority vote among the MHSA 159 voting delegates. The proposal, according to MontanaSports.com, calls for schools to begin installing shot clocks at the end of this season and have them operational in time for summer camps to give teams a chance to get used to them.
With that vote, the MHSA approved a proposal at its annual meeting to utilize 35-second shot clocks for boys and girls basketball games at both the varsity and sub-varsity levels beginning next season.
“I think it was a long time coming,” said Butte High activities director Chuck Merrifield to MontanaSports.com. “We’ve been pushing for it for a long time. There’s been a lot of coaches pushing for it. It was a unanimous vote in AA for a shot clock.”
The proposal was issued by Great Falls CMR. It estimates that the cost of purchasing and installing shot clocks will be between $5,000 and $10,000 per school. That price tag makes some schools wary, especially ones that don’t necessarily have the funding or resources of AA programs.
Still, the article cited a general consensus was that it was time to modernize high school basketball in the Treasure State, despite the upfront cost.
“The concern for most schools is the expense,” said Manhattan activities director Pat Lynch to MontanaSports.com. “But it was coming and the sooner we get involved in it and get going the easier it’ll be.”
“It’ll definitely change the game but you also gotta consider the financial aspects,” said Mike Moodry, Jefferson’s principal, to MontanaSports.com. “It’s a significant contribution from our community that we gotta make putting those shot clocks in. Like everything we always learn to adapt and adjust. It’s for the better of all the activities we provide.”
The members also voted to sanction high school baseball in the state for the first time since the 1970s. Prior to the vote, Montana was one of three states without high school baseball, along with South Dakota and Wyoming, MontanaSports.com reported.
With the approval of the proposal, the first high school baseball season is set to take place in the spring of 2023. While the sport has now officially been given the green light, individual school boards will still need to vote on whether or not to pursue fielding a team. Schools also have the option of forming co-ops.
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With the high school baseball season set to take place in spring and Legion a summer sport, Butte Central president Don Peoples Jr. believes that the two programs can have mutually beneficial relationships.
“I think (high school baseball) will complement Legion programs,” Peoples said. “It’ll encourage more kids to play and participate in baseball.”
To read the full story from MontanaSports.com, click here.
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