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The fight continues for winter contact sports

ALPENA, Mich. — The 2020-21 school year for high school sports has been a struggle. We’re approaching the month of February and winter contact sports have yet to be played. At this time, all winter contact sports have been practicing, but are limited to non-contact practices.

“We just have to worry about practicing and being safe,” said Alpena ice hockey coach Chris Limback. “If they can say we can play, great. If not, we’ll plan for Feb. 21 and go from there.”

However, there’s a possibility that sports will resume before the Feb. 21 deadline. Thursday morning, Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer recapped Wednesday night’s State of the State address on WXYZ-TV, saying winter sports, “may happen in the coming weeks or days.”

Down in Lansing, the Senate recently agreed to urge Governor Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) to lift the suspension on high school and youth sports, and to allow sports to resume immediately.

For the past couple of months many people across the state have urged Governor Whitmer to reconsider the ban on indoor contact sports, especially the athletes.

“We want to get back out here and play,” said Alpena senior Collin Lightfoot. “We’ll do whatever it takes. Obviously we got the masks, we’re social distancing. We just want to have fun.”