It is fair to say that there has never been a year like 2020 in the history of high school sports in Michigan.

   2020 saw a global pandemic hit Michigan and the country -- closing schools, forcing learning online and causing the cancellation games in multiple sports for much of the year.

   There were no conclusions to many winter sports, a complete absence of spring sports seasons, and a delayed start and end to fall seasons.

   When high school sports did restart, it was very different than before. It may be a long time before there is a return to normal.

   Boys and girls skiing were first up, holding their championships on Feb. 24. The Marquette boys and girls swept titles in Division 1. Petoskey won the boys title and Pontiac Notre Dame Preparatory earned the girls title in Division 2.

   Champions were then crowned in boys and girls bowling on March 6. Utica Eisenhower, Jackson Northwest, Armada, and Grass Lake took home boys titles. Zeeland, Mason, Essexville Garber, and Bronson won girls titles.

   Detroit Catholic Central, Lowell, Dundee, and Clinton won team wrestling championships on Feb. 29 and individual champions were crowned on March 7.

   Rochester Adams, Allen Park, Richmond, and Hudson earned championships in competitive cheer on March 6 and 7.

   Many spring sports began practice around that time.

   The boys basketball district semifinals were completed the evening of Wednesday, March 11. But for the first time in the playoffs, talk about COVID-19 dominated conversations in gyms across the state.

   In one of the last games concluded that night, defending Division 1 champion Ypsilanti Lincoln, led by sophomore sensation Emoni Bates, dominated Ypsilanti Community to advance to the district final. As a freshman, Bates led Lincoln to the D1 title in 2019, beating University of Detroit Jesuit.

   Few players, coaches, athletic directors, or parents, though, anticipated what was to about to happen to the games they loved. Fewer would be able to predict that those boys basketball playoff games would be the final high school games played in Michigan for the rest of the school year.

   The very next morning, Thursday, March 12, all remaining winter sports in the state were put on pause due to increased concerns about COVID-19 in Michigan.

 With professional sports leagues and colleges already beginning to suspend games, on March 12 the MHSAA suspended its remaining winter

 tournaments out of caution because of the possibility of a pandemic.

   Regional final games in girls basketball were scheduled to be played that day, as well as boys hockey semifinals in Division 2. The Michigan Girls High School Hockey League (not part of the MHSAA) was to hold its semifinals that day as well.

   The championships in team gymnastics were originally planned for the next two days, March 13 and 14, as were the boys swimming and diving championship meets, and the remaining boys hockey semifinals and championship games.

   Suddenly, there was shock and disbelief throughout the high school sports world about what was happening. It was not limited to just Michigan, as youth, college, and professional sports across the country were being cancelled due to pandemic concerns.

   But many held out hope that this was only short term and somehow the remaining winter championships would still be completed, and spring sports would be played.

   No amount of hope could have halted what was about to come.

    Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took quick action to counter a possible pandemic, closing in-person schools on March 16, preventing high school sports from restarting. Her original executive order had schools reopening on April 6.

   Boys basketball regional semifinals had been planned for March 16 with regional finals on March 18. The girls basketball quarterfinals were scheduled for March 17, with the semifinals on March 20 and the finals on March 21. The boys basketball tournament was set to conclude the next week, with quarterfinals on March 24, semifinals on March 27, and finals on March 28.

   “Closing our K-12 school buildings is the responsible choice that will minimize the risk of exposure for children, educators, and families and mitigate the spread of coronavirus,” said Michigan State Superintendent Michael Rice said at the time. “The Department of Education will continue to work closely with our partners in state government to help our students and educators in each school district get through this time. This is about protecting the most people in Michigan.”

   On March 19, the state announced the total number of coronavirus cases in Michigan was 336.  On April 1, 1,719 new cases of COVID-19 were reported in Michigan.

   The next day, April 2, Gov. Whitmer declared a state of disaster in the

state. The executive order closed schools for in-person learning across the state for the remainder of the school year, forcing schools to move to online learning.  The MHSAA formally canceled the remainder of the 2019-20 winter and spring sports seasons on April 3, in compliance with the governor’s directive.

   “We are heartbroken to not be able to provide these opportunities for Michigan’s student-athletes, and especially seniors. We continue to hear from dozens asking us to hold out hope. But safety always must come first, and Governor Whitmer is making courageous decisions to safeguard the people of our state,” MHSAA Executive Director Mark Uyl said that day.

   “We understand as much as anyone how much school sports mean to athletes and their communities. We had ideas and hopes for finishing winter and dpring and helping bring some sort of normalcy after this long break. But this is the correct decision, and we will play our part in bringing schools and communities together again when the time is right, “ Uyl added.

   It would eventually become the first school year to not see MHSAA championships played in multiple sports since 1942-43, when World War II led to the elimination of the finals in most sports.

   The cancellation of the winter tournaments in gymnastics, boys swimming, boys hockey, girls hockey, and boys and girls basketball denied glory for many elite teams and players.

   Farmington United was vying for its third-straight championship in gymnastics.

   Holland West Ottawa, Dexter, and Holland Christian were not able to defend their titles in boys swimming.

   Detroit Catholic Central, Hartland, and Detroit Country Day never got the chance to try to repeat as boys hockey champions.

   Farmington Hills Mercy couldn’t defend its girls hockey title.

   In girls basketball, Saginaw Heritage was vying for a three-peat in Division 1. Detroit Edison Public School Academy of Excellence and Miss Basketball Gabrielle Elliot were left undefeated and heavy favorites to win the title in Division 2, which would have been their fourth straight title.

Pewamo-Westphalia couldn’t defend its title in Division 3, and Adrian Lenawee Christian was denied a chance at its third-straight title in Division 4.

   Bates couldn’t defend his Division 1 championship with Ypsilanti Lincoln. Hudsonville Unity Christian, Pewamo-Westphalia, and Southfield Christian were also unable to defend their titles.

   Spring teams in baseball, softball, boys golf, boys and girls lacrosse, boys and girls track and field, girls soccer, and girls tennis didn’t even get a chance to begin their seasons.

   The long months of spring and summer were spent with school officials, athletic directors, coaches, players, and parents across the state wondering if high school sports in Michigan would even be able to return in the fall.

   The return of high school sports for the fall season was unclear as late as September, due to the continued effects of the pandemic. Normally, football games begin in late August.

   Less than 24 hours after she failed to address the restart of high school sports in a highly anticipated briefing on Sept. 2, Gov. Whitmer issued Executive Order 176 on Sept. 3, lifting restrictions that allowed the MHSAA to immediately reinstate the moderate- and high-risk sports of

football, boys soccer, girls swimming, and volleyball.

   Practices and games in fall sports began shortly after the announcement. but with numerous required safety precautions. Players, coaches and fans were in masks. Social distancing was mandatory. Only a limited numbers of fans were in the stands.

   The shortened regular seasons in the fall sports were played with few issues or COVID-19 outbreaks.

   The first MHSAA fall championships were held Oct. 17 with Okemos, Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern, Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood, and Grosse Pointe Woods University winning boys tennis titles. The format of the tournament was changed dramatically due to the pandemic.

   District champions in boys tennis were seeded and played in a team-vs.-team tournament and No. 1 singles was the only flight allowed to play for individual titles. Liggett’s William Cooksey won his fourth straight Division 4 No. 1 singles title.

   Northville won its third straight Division 1 girls golf championship. South Lyon won the Division 2 title. Bloomfield Hills Marian, led by Miss

Golf Shannon Kennedy, repeated as champions in Division 3. And Montague won the title in Division 4.

   The girls golf tournament was limited to only one day, rather than two days in past seasons, to reduce the chance for the spread of COVID-19.

   In cross country, Romeo, Fremont, St. Louis, and Carson City-Crystal won boys championships on Nov. 6 and 7. Ann Arbor Pioneer, Petoskey, Hart, and Lansing Christian took home girls titles. Safety precautions also changed the format of playoffs in this sport.

   On Nov. 7, Detroit Catholic Central, Richland Gull Lake, Grosse Ile, and Adrian Lenawee Christian took home boys soccer championships.

   With the football and volleyball playoffs in full swing, the number of COVID-19 cases began to spike again in November throughout Michigan. Due to this increase in cases, the Department of Health and Human Services ordered a three-week “pause” to high school sports in the state on Nov. 18 as part of a series of new regulations.

   This pause was later extended to at least Dec. 20.

   Gov. Whitmer and the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services announced a pilot program on Friday, Dec. 18, that allowed the resumption of the remaining MHSAA fall playoffs in football, volleyball, and girls swimming and diving. The program does not allow spectators at games and players would have to undergo rapid testing for COVID-19.

   After another brief delay to clear up details of the pilot program, football teams began two days of outdoor, non-contact conditioning and drills, wearing helmets and shoulder pads with physical distancing, on Monday, Dec. 28, in advance of the first round of COVID-19 testing.

   Schools began testing players, coaches and other team personnel on Dec. 30, with full-contact practice allowed after a first round of negative results. The testing program utilizes BinaxNOW antigen tests that produce results within 15 minutes.

   Football regional final games for 11-player teams and the semifinals for

 eight-player teams will begin again on Saturday, Jan. 9. The eight-player championship games in both divisions and all 11-player semifinals will be played Saturday, Jan. 16. The football season is now set to conclude with the 11-player championships in all divisions the weekend of Jan. 22-23, at sites to be determined. All semifinals in both 11- and eight-player will be played at home sites. But some schools are currently searching to see if indoor venues are available.

   Currently there are only 72 schools left in football competition — 64 in 11-player and eight in eight-player. After the next round there will be only 36 schools still playing.

   Practice in volleyball and girls swimming began again Saturday, Jan. 2.

   The volleyball tournament is set to begin again with quarterfinals on Tuesday, Jan. 12. Semifinals and finals are set be played Thursday-Saturday, Jan. 14-16, at Kellogg Arena in Battle Creek.

   In volleyball, only 32 teams remain and only 16 will be in competition after the quarterfinals are played.

   The girls swimming and diving championships are planned to return with the three Lower Peninsula finals competed during the weekend of Jan. 15-16 with one division at each of three locations. Diving would be completed Jan. 15, with swimming completed the following day.