Did you see that? (10/15-10/21)
October 22, 2012
Three MHSAA fall sports came to an end over the weekend, and the tournament for a fourth has begun. Those finishes highlight the non-football best from the week that was Oct. 15-21.
Golf
Rankings play out: The Lower Peninsula girls season came to a close with all four top-ranked teams claiming championships. Plymouth won its first MHSAA title in any sport in Division 1, while Mona Shores became the first Lower Peninsula girls golf team to win four straight by doing so in Division 2. Ada Forest Hills Eastern made it two titles in three seasons by winning Division 3, and Lansing Catholic won its third straight in Division 4. Second Half covered them all. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Tennis
Dynasties continue: Three of four top-ranked teams also won MHSAA Lower Peninsula Boys Tennis Finals over the weekend, with the other champion hardly unfamiliar with first place. Ann Arbor Huron was ranked only No. 3 before winning Division 1 for the third time in five seasons. Midland Dow won its fourth straight Division 2 title and Ann Arbor Greenhills won its fifth straight in Division 4. But the biggest headline goes to Detroit Country Day, which tied Ann Arbor Pioneers’ dominance in 2002 with 39 points in claiming the Division 3 title. Second Half also covered all four of these Finals.(Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Cross country
One streak ends, another begins: The Upper Peninsula season came to an end with its Finals for three divisions. Calumet’s Tara Kiilunen led her team to the Division 1 girls title by winning the individual championship for the fourth consecutive season. On the boys side, Sault Ste. Marie won its first title in 11 years thanks to the individual Division 1 championship of freshman Parker Scott, who finished this season undefeated. Second Half covered all the races. (Girls Finals) (Boys Finals)
Soccer
Powers emerge in Division 1: Lower Peninsula Districts whittled the number of teams still alive down to 64 – 16 in each of four divisions. And the two toughest Districts to navigate were arguably in Division 1. Top-ranked East Kentwood beat Caledonia 6-0 to win that District, but only after the Falcons knocked out No. 2 Rockford in a semifinal and the Rams did the same to No. 7 Okemos in an opener. Rochester Stoney Creek, ranked No. 4, emerged from a district at Rochester that included No. 9 Utica Eisenhower and honorable mention Troy Athens by beating Rochester Adams 2-1 in the title game – after Adams upset Eisenhower in a semi. (Grand Rapids Press) (Oakland Press)
Warren Lincoln Turns to Shutdown Defense to Lock Up Repeat Opportunity
By
Steve Vedder
Special for MHSAA.com
March 14, 2025
EAST LANSING – It wasn't the first time Warren Lincoln had to push aside a sluggish first half to eventually meet the goals the Abes have for themselves.
In fact, they turned to an old friend to thrust themselves into a second-straight Division 2 Final.
Lincoln was all about defense in knocking off Grand Rapids Catholic Central 43-39 in Friday's concluding Semifinal at the Breslin Center.
After the Abes mustered only 21 first-quarter points, they turned to their defense to oust the Cougars and become the first Division 2 school since Lansing Sexton in 2011-12 to play for back-to-back titles.
Lincoln is in that position because of defense, coach Wydell Henry said.
"We had to defend," Henry said. "We don't want to give up 50 points, and that's 10 a quarter. We knew we had to come out and rebound, relax and play unselfishly in the second half."
Which is exactly what the Abes did. Aided by committing only four turnovers during the entire game, Lincoln rallied from a 25-21 halftime deficit to win a matchup that saw seven lead changes or ties over the final 11 minutes.
The last came when Lincoln's Geon Hutchins snapped a 35-35 tie on a 3-pointer with 5:18 to go. Two and a half minutes later, Hutchins hit another one to give the Abes a 41-37 lead with 2:24 left. The closest GRCC came after was 41-39 with 1:40 to go on a layup by Jack Bowen.
The Cougars hurt themselves by missing four key fourth-quarter free throws.
"We've been battle-tested all year, and kudos to Catholic Central – they played 32 minutes – but we're used to that," Henry said. "We were standing around offensively (in the first half) and not moving, and that's not basketball. But we won, and that's what it's all about."
The win sent Lincoln (22-4) into Saturday's 6:45 p.m. Division 2 Final against Romulus Summit Academy North, a 52-40 winner over Kingsford in their Semifinal.
Lincoln senior guard Markus Blackwell, who finished with 11 points, said his team never worried about its slow start.
"There are always nerves, but once you get out there you settle down and play your game," he said.
Senior guard Da'Marion Bozeman, who had 10 points and six rebounds, said he knew he had to up his game over the last 16 minutes.
"I had to pick up my game and perform like I wanted, like rebounding better," he said. "I always have to make sure I'm doing something to contribute."
Henry, who has won 114 games in seven years at Warren Lincoln, said it's not particularly rare for his team to survive a game while scoring in the 40-point range. The team held Byron Center to 65 points early in the season and kept 11 opponents under 50.
"I just tell the guys at the end of a game it's a win," he said. "If we're going to be successful, we've got to play together. It's tough to get kids to sacrifice (scoring), but these guys do that.”
Grand Rapids Catholic Central first-year coach Chris Pearl took over a team that had just graduated the 2024 Mr. Basketball Award winner, another Division II college signee, and saw its longtime coach step away. Yet, the Cougars still reached this season’s Semifinals.
"The first three quarters were in our favor. We were ready to compete," he said. "Warren Lincoln for 32 minutes was a tad better. Defense has been our M.O., and I didn't expect it to stop today."
PHOTOS (Top) Warren Lincoln’s Moses Blackwell works to get past Grand Rapids Catholic Central’s Izaya Larthridge (4) during Friday’s second Division 2 Semifinal at Breslin Center. (Middle) The Cougars’ Jack Bowen (24) drives to the basket with Lincoln’s Geon Hutchins moving in to defend. (Photos by Adam Sheehan/Hockey Weekly Action Photos.)