10 to Remember from 2011-12
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
July 11, 2012
Second Half's mission in this, its first school year, was to tell the best stories behind the scores and highlights of MHSAA competition.
Of course, every score and especially every championship has a story behind it. The MHSAA awarded 127 team and many more individual championships in 2011-12. Obviously we can't reflect on them all. But these 10 performances were loaded with prestige, drama and accomplishment that made them incredible stories for high school sports fans regardless of hometown or allegiance.
10. Grand Ledge gymnasts earn No. 5
The Comets had to fend off a charge by Canton, but won their fifth-straight MHSAA team title by 0.825 of a point with a final score of 149.400. The fifth-straight title tied the record set by Ludington from 1975-79 and extended Grand Ledge's first-place streak to 75 consecutive events. The next day, senior Christine Wilson and junior Sara Peltier swept the Division 1 and 2 individual titles, respectively.
9. West Bloomfield's Erin Finn joins elite
The Lakers junior said after her Division 1 cross country win that she'd dreamt of winning that title since she learned how to walk. She finished fourth as a sophomore before winning the championship by a little more than a second. After establishing herself as one of the top distance runners in the country in competitions over the winter, Finn finished the school year by winning the 3,200-meter run at the Division 1 Track and Field Final.
8. More and more Morley Stanwood
The Mohawks girls pulled off a rare feat this school year -- after winning their second MHSAA volleyball title in the fall, they added a first-ever girls basketball championship. Both efforts were keyed by seniors Alexis Huntey and Bailey Cairnduf, who had the most and second-most kills in the Class C Volleyball Final and then combined for 45 points and 25 rebounds in the basketball championship game.
That argument was made after Lansing Sexton claimed its second-straight Class B boys basketball championship in dominant fashion. The Big Reds finished 27-1, their only loss by a point to Detroit Pershing, and have won 74 games over the last three seasons -- tied for sixth-most in MHSAA history for that long of a stretch. Guards Denzel Valentine (Michigan State), Anthony Clemmons (Iowa) and Bryn Forbes (Cleveland State) all signed to play at Division I colleges this fall, with junior Jalen Hayes and freshman Trevor Manuel likely joining them in a few years.
Coyotes junior Sami Michell established herself as one of the top hurdlers in MHSAA history at the Division 3 Final by becoming the first Lower Peninsula girl to win four events at a championship meet since Mason County Eastern’s Maria Shoup in 1979. She set Division 3 records in the 100 hurdles, 300 hurdles and long jump, and her 300 time also was the best in MHSAA Finals history, regardless of division or class. She also won the 200.
Top-ranked Grand Haven's latest run at an MHSAA championship seemed all but over when Grosse Pointe South led the Class A final by 18 points with just under 10 minutes to play. But Shar'Rae Davis' fullcourt sprint and score that began with 12 seconds to play gave the Buccaneers a 54-53 win and their first title. It was the third-longest comeback in MHSAA Girls Basketball Finals history.
Livonia Ladywood had been a favorite to win its first MHSAA title all season -- with four-year pitcher Briana Combs in the circle. But when Combs couldn't finish the Semifinal because of an injury, rarely-thrown sophomore Lauren Hayes stepped in. All she did was finish that game and throw a three-hitter against Saginaw Swan Valley in the Final, while also getting three hits and driving in two of the team's four runs in the championship win.
St. Johns senior Taylor Massa finished off one of the most celebrated careers in MHSAA wrestling history with his fourth championship and not one loss during his high school career. Massa claimed the title at 171 pounds this year to go with others at 145, 152 and 160. He became the 15th in MHSAA history to win four titles, ranks 20th with 221 wins and seventh in the national record book for consecutive victories.
Grosse Pointe South's girls running teams had arguably the most dominant school year in MHSAA history, first winning the Division 1 cross country title before doing the same this spring in track and field. And the Blue Devils did it with mostly the same nucleus contributing to both -- particularly juniors Hannah and Haley Meier, sophomore Kelsie Schwartz and freshman Ersula Farrow. Those four combined to run a national record time of 8:48.29 in the 3,200 relay at the Division 1 Final this spring.
1. Short walk, championship run
Second Half was created as a place to tell great stories, Cass Tech made it easy on the first day of the Football Finals. The Technicians arrived at Ford Field after a short walk from their school. They had never played in a Final before and were unranked entering the postseason. They arrived with a strong group of seniors, but also a freshman quarterback named Jayru Campbell who ended up throwing five touchdown passes in a 49-13 win over No. 2 and perennial powerhouse Detroit Catholic Central.
PHOTO: The Morley Stanwood girls basketball team prepares to celebrate as the final seconds tick off in the Mohawks' Class C Final win. (Click to see more photos from High School Sports Scene.)
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball Week 4 Report
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
September 16, 2025
A significant reason we've been able to begin reporting on the weekly progress of Michigan's volleyball teams this fall was the addition of Michigan Power Ratings as a contributor to the sport's MHSAA Tournament format for the 2024 season.
MPR is used to seed the top two teams in every District, and requires all to report their schedules and scores throughout the regular season. Those ratings take into account not only a team's success but also its strength of schedule, and MPR is constantly updating as matches finish and results are published to the MHSAA website.
Check out the Michigan Power Ratings (MPR) page for more details, but also note that rankings referred to below instead reflect the latest polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association (MIVCA).
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart d. Fowler (25-19, 26-24, 11-25, 25-13) The Irish (11-3-3) were ranked No. 8 last week but have jumped two spots after defeating the formerly top-ranked Eagles (9-3-1).
2. Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern d. Byron Center (25-16, 25-17) This Huskies win arguably sticks out most from a Makayla Kohn Memorial Tournament run that also included victories over Forest Hills Central, Traverse City St. Francis, Edwardsburg and host Caledonia, with the 5-0 day sending FHN to 16-5-0 overall.
3. Hudsonville d. Grand Rapids Christian (25-22, 26-28, 25-17, 20-25, 15-12) West Michigan is powerful as usual, and these are two of the best again with Hudsonville (9-2-0) an honorable mention in Division 1 last week and Grand Rapids Christian (7-4-0) No. 2 in Division 2.
4. Northville d. Bloomfield Hills (25-22, 25-20) Although Northville lost to White Lake Lakeland on Saturday, downing Division 1 No. 3 Bloomfield Hills and also Division 2 No. 3 North Branch at the Motor City Power Series showed what the Mustangs (4-2-0) can do.
5. Battle Creek Lakeview d. Plainwell (25-23, 26-24) Lakeview (14-3-4) finished 3-0-3 at its invitational, with sweeps of Portage Northern and Pontiac Notre Dame Prep its other wins.
Watch List
With an eye toward November, here are two teams in each division making sparks:
DIVISION 1
Bloomfield Hills Marian (23-1-0) Although No. 2 Marian did absorb its first loss of the season last week in three sets against No. 3 Bloomfield Hills, it also has a win over Bloomfield Hills this season and its opponents have won 62 percent of their matches this fall – making the entirety of Marian’s work even more impressive. The Mustangs also have wins over No. 5 Utica Eisenhower and No. 10 Brighton with their first meeting with No. 4 Farmington Hills Mercy set for Wednesday.
Grand Haven (21-3-0) The No. 6 Buccaneers opened this season with a loss to Brighton and have fallen only twice more, to top-ranked Rockford and No. 8 Forest Hills Northern. They also have a win over Forest Hills Northern and this weekend went 6-0 at their Grand Haven Invitational, defeating honorable mention Zeeland East in the championship match after losing the first set. The Bucs also have victories over honorable mention South Lyon East, Grand Rapids Christian and Division 2 No. 6 Grand Rapids Catholic Central.
DIVISION 2
Imlay City (17-4-0) The No. 5-ranked Spartans are coming off a 3-1 Motor City Power Series weekend, with wins over Division 1 Saline and Lake Orion and Division 2 Goodrich and the loss in three sets to South Lyon East. Their only other losses were to Brighton, Utica Eisenhower and Division 3 top-ranked Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central, and they’ve also defeated Division 2 No. 7 Frankenmuth as they’ve powered up their schedule again this fall.
Tecumseh (19-1-0) A two-set loss to Division 3 No. 2 Roscommon is all that’s stood between the reigning Division 2 runner-up and perfection this season, with wins over honorable mention Parma Western and Division 3 No. 4 Kingsley among factors in Tecumseh’s No. 9 ranking this week. The Southeastern Conference power is coming off of a 6-0 run at the Mason invitational during which it didn’t lose a set.
DIVISION 3
Kingsley (21-4-0) After last season’s run to the Division 2 Regional Finals, Kingsley is ranked No. 4 in Division 3 and powering through its schedule with its only losses twice to Roscommon (see below), once to Tecumseh (see above) and to Flat Rock. The Stags finished 5-0 at their invitational over the weekend, highlighted by a two-set win over No. 9 McBain that included a 31-29 opener. Kingsley also has a win over Essexville Garber, which ended its season a year ago, an earlier three-set win over McBain and two-set victories over Division 3 honorable mention Manton and Division 4 No. 9 Onekama.
Roscommon (23-1-0) The Bucks have gone from losing their District opener in 2022 to reaching the Regional Finals the following season and Quarterfinals last fall, and they’re on the move again. Roscommon’s only loss this fall came in three sets to No. 7 Traverse City St. Francis on Sept. 4, and they have the wins over Kingsley noted above plus two more over McBain and Tecumseh. The Bucks won all five of their matches at Saturday’s Grayling Invitational comfortably.
DIVISION 4
Crystal Falls Forest Park (14-1-0) After reaching the Division 4 Semifinals in 2022 and 2023, Forest Park was stopped by Hancock in a Regional Final last season. The Trojans avenged that loss Saturday with a 25-17, 25-17 win over the Bulldogs in the championship match of The Rock Invitational at Gladstone. Only Division 3 No. 10 Saginaw Valley Lutheran has put up even 20 points against Forest Park this fall – once in the Trojans’ two-set win at the season opening Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart Invitational, and then one more time when Forest Park fell to Valley Lutheran in that tournament’s semifinals.
Suttons Bay (11-0-0) After finishing 17-13 a year ago, Suttons Bay has almost equaled that win total over this season’s first month. The Norsemen won the McBain Northern Michigan Christian Invitational to start this fall and most recently have four-set wins over Buckley and Frankfort, defeating the latter Monday after losing the first set. Onekama next week and Traverse City St. Francis next month will be among biggest tests as Suttons Bay continued to build on its fast start.
Can’t-Miss Contests
Be on the lookout for results of these matches and tournaments coming up:
Wednesday – Farmington Hills Mercy (5-1-1) at Bloomfield Hills Marian (23-1-0) – These rivals met three times last season, with Mercy sweeping all three matches.
Thursday – Calumet (4-3) at Hancock (12-2-2) – The Copper Kings swept both matches between these Western Peninsula Athletic Conference rivals last season.
Saturday – Cristi Curtis Memorial Invitation at Byron Center – The Division 1 honorable mention Bulldogs (14-3) will welcome a solid field that includes Division 2 honorable mention Edwardsburg (12-6), Fruitport (11-4-1), Mattawan (8-8) and Grand Rapids West Catholic.
Saturday – Battle by the Bay at Essexville Garber – The Dukes (12-6-2) will host Clare, Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart (11-3-3) and Beal City (14-2).
Monday – Flat Rock (16-4) at Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (12-1-1) – The Rams haven’t gotten a lot of attention during their successful start, but could earn it with another impressive showing.
PHOTO A Mount Pleasant Sacred Heart setter passes to a teammate during the Irish's match against Carson City-Crystal earlier this month. (Click for more from High School Sports Scene.)