Kingsford's Joe Murvich chases the puck in Marquette's defensive zone on Thursday night, Dec. 22, 2016, at Lakeview Arena in Marquette. (Journal photo by Rachel Oakley)

KINGSFORD — The Breitung Township School Board has agreed to add Forest Park and West Iron County high schools to its hockey co-op program for this winter.

On July 24, the board accepted the athletic committee’s recommendation to let students from the two Iron County districts play with the Flivvers-based program.

The two-year pilot arrangement will be reviewed annually.

“The protocol is the same as we have had in the past with other districts — local students will not be excluded from being on the team,” Breitung Superintendent Craig Allen said.

The Flivver team already has a hockey co-op with Iron Mountain, Norway and North Dickinson schools. The two additional districts mean that all the schools in the Dickinson-Iron Intermediate School District now can participate.

Even with that number of schools, the team still will be in Division 3 and usually play up to Division 2 to be more competitive, Allen added.

The other Upper Peninsula schools in Division 3 are in the Copper Country and compete against each other. If the Flivvers were to play in that division, they would have to also travel to the northern Lower Peninsula to compete. Nearby schools in D-2 include Escanaba, Negaunee and Marquette.

Allen said the team can carry 22 to 24 players but only anticipate 17 to 18 this year.

“We will be monitoring it and making sure that no one is eliminated who wants to play,” Allen added.

Kingsford Athletic Director Al Unger said the team is only allowed to have 23 on its roster during the MHSAA postseason tournament.

The school board also gave the go-ahead for Kingsford High School students to co-op with the Norway-Vulcan Area Schools for a boys and girls ski team.

Allen said Norway will handle the details, including administrative duties and fundraising for the teams.

Unger said three or four Kingsford students are interested in the ski team, which probably will ski and practice at Pine Mountain.

The program, co-op with Iron Mountain and Norway was dropped a year ago due to low participation, Allen said.

“It’s a good thing to provide this opportunity for that small niche of students who want to ski,” Allen said.

Norway had a boys team last year with the one girl competing as well.

Other schools with ski teams in the Upper Peninsula include Marquette, Ironwood and Houghton.

The board also agreed to expand the dual sports program at Kingsford High School in 2017-18. Last spring, students could participate in one individual and one team sport in the same season.

For the coming school year, the students can be in two individual sports in the same season or one team and one individual sport.

Board members Doug McDowell and Mark Pugh questioned whether being in dual sports might affect a student’s grades, but Allen said the students involved were in the top 10 percent of their class.

Unger agreed, noting seniors were the ones doing this in the spring.