Conflicts and new rules affect school football teams

High school football teams across the state are facing shortened preseason schedules, due to a scheduling conflict with the 2015 Prep Bowl site. 
The Prep Bowl, usually held the third week of November, was supposed to be played at the University of Minnesota’s TCF Bank Stadium. There was only one problem. The Gophers had dibs on that weekend. 
After much discussion, it was decided that instead of cutting regular or postseason games, summer practice would be cut short one week. While this gives players, coaches and fans the regular season they are used to, it has created a situation in which players and coaches have less time to prepare for that “normal” season. 
“I think we simply have to be more efficient with our time,” said New Richland-Hartland-Ellendale-Geneva Coach Dan Stork. 
Additional rules regarding practices have also been laid down by the Minnesota High School League, including limited interaction with coaches and players and a “no contact” rule for the first four days of practice.
“With all of the new rules regarding length of practices, we have had to be very specific in our practice planning,” said Stork. 
Jeff Williams, the head coach for Owatonna, said the rules have already been affecting the team this summer. 
“Because we play Mankato West after only 10 days of practice, we have added camp opportunities this summer in order to get our players prepared for the coming season,” said Williams. 
That camp will be held at Owatonna High School July 26-29, and will include offensive and defensive workouts, as well as watching film. 
We have also lost our scrimmage this fall, so we will have to find different ways to assess who is really ready to compete on Friday nights,” said Williams. “It will be an interesting fall to be sure.”
Stork added he doesn’t believe there will be any negative results, since the new rules are affecting every team equally, adding, “We’ll be ready.”