NOTE: This story has been updated due to a change in the schedule once again. The latest update can be found here: Petoskey vs. Flint Powers Catholic moved again from Houghton Lake
PETOSKEY — It’s been a rough few days around northern Michigan.
For basketball fans hoping to have a bit of normalcy returned on Tuesday, March 17 with the Petoskey girls basketball team’s Division 2 quarterfinal in Gaylord, things just got a bit more complicated.
For the third time in less than a week, Petoskey will have to deal with a postseason game shuffle.
The Division 2 girls quarterfinal between Petoskey (22-3) and Flint Powers Catholic (23-3) will now be played at 7 p.m., Tuesday, March 17 at Houghton Lake High School.
It’s a change of more than double the driving for Petoskey, with the status of even getting out of their driveway by Tuesday morning unknown for many locals.
Inland Lakes vs. Ishpeming in a Division 4 quarterfinal will now play at Gaylord High School Tuesday. The game was originally scheduled to be played in Gladstone.
A blizzard warning for Emmet, Charlevoix and Cheboygan Counties remains in effect until 8 p.m., Monday, with snow still steadily falling throughout the area.
To make matters worse, Houghton Lake and the surrounding area currently have thousands of Consumers Energy customers without power, as the county was hit by an ice storm over the weekend.
A week ago, Petoskey’s Division 2 regional championship game against Big Rapids was moved from Wednesday, to Thursday in Gaylord, though Gaylord did not have power Thursday morning, prompting another move.
The championship was then played at Traverse City Central High School on Thursday.
The Northmen aren’t the only team to have to deal with a shifting schedule, with the Inland lakes girls regional final vs. Newberry moved from Wednesday to Thursday, then to Friday and then finally to Saturday, mostly in part due to falling ice on the Mackinac Bridge.
Petoskey earned a 62-50 victory over Big Rapids in their Division 2 regional final on Thursday.
It came as their first regional championship and spot in the quarterfinals since 1999, though they later fell in the quarters that season. It’s just the second regional title ever for the girls program, with no team ever advancing beyond quarterfinals.
Flint Powers, who closed the regular season ranked No. 5 in Division 2, earned a 48-37 win over Portland in its regional championship on Wednesday. They also took down Frankenmuth in the regional semifinals.
Contact or send game stats/info to Sports Editor Drew Kochanny at dkochanny@petoskeynews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, @DrewKochanny, and Instagram, @drewkochanny
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Petoskey, Flint Powers girls have quarterfinal change location Tuesday
Reporting by Drew Kochanny, The Petoskey News-Review / The Petoskey News-Review
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