DUFFEL BAG PREP NEWS AND NOTES

AROUND THE AREA WOODLAND HOOPS: Basketball in the conference will be set up differently this season. The only games that will count toward a team’s conference/ division record are the ones played against Woodland schools from the same division. Previously teams in the conference played two games against division foes and one game against teams from the other division with all contests counting toward a division title. This year each team will have two random crossover division games each season. At the end of the year there will be another non-conference matchup that pits teams the divisions’ firstplace finishers, second-place finisher, etc. That will also be a non-conference game. After many years as a 12-team league, the Woodland will have 14 teams split into seven-team divisions.

THE MVC: Racine Park boys basketball coach Jim Betker and Waukesha South boys soccer coach Rico Camacho advanced to the second-round of the U.S. Cellular Most Valuable Coach program. The program honors high school coaches who lead by example, strengthen their teams and give back to their communities. The winning coach will receive a $50,000 donation that will go to either the charitable organization of his or her choice or to their high school athletic department and a trip to Orlando, Fla. where they will be honored at the Under Armour High School All-American football game. First, however, the list of 50 coaches will be trimmed to 15. Voting is open at TheMostValuableCoach.com until Oct. 9 at 11:59 a.m. Coaches who make the top 15 will have $5,000 awarded to their school by U.S. Cellular.

COMMITTED: Homestead senior Ryen Ryba will play baseball at Division II Minnesota State Mankato, according to Jason Lauren of the National Scouting Report of Wisconsin. HIRED: Mario Rodriguez is the new softball coach at St. Thomas More. He spent the past six seasons as an assistant in the program and succeeds Jose Frias.