Did you see that? (10/29-11/4)
November 5, 2012
We had champions upon champions upon champions last week, whether they were winners of MHSAA Finals in cross country and soccer, Districts in volleyball or league champs in swimming and diving.
Girls cross country
Favorites make good: Reigning individual champions Erin Finn of West Bloomfield, Julia Bos of Grand Rapids Christian and Kirsten Olling of Breckenridge all repeated Saturday at Michigan International Speedway, with Macomb Lutheran North's Gina Patterson joining the group. Second Half talked to all four. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Boys cross country
Taking two titles: Highland Milford and Concord won both the MHSAA Lower Peninsula team championships in their respective divisions Saturday and also had the top individuals in those races. Second Half provided same-day coverage from every race. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Soccer
Headed west: A year after Detroit-area teams claimed all four MHSAA LP boys soccer championships, Grand Rapids area teams took back three. East Kentwood, Hudsonville Unity Christian and Grand Rapids South Christian won titles, while Hamtramck Freedom International kept one on the east side of the state with its first Finals win. Second Half covered them all. (Division 1) (Division 2) (Division 3) (Division 4)
Volleyball
Hang that banner: Bay City John Glenn won its first volleyball District championship in the 47-year history of the school, beating Essexville-Garber in four sets to claim a Class B title. John Glenn had to come back after dropping the first game. (Bay City Times)
Hang that banner, part II: Three Rivers also won its first volleyball District championship, downing Vicksburg in four games to claim the Class B championship. (Sturgis Journal)
Copper Kings, once again: After finding itself only two points from the District championship in 2011, and then giving up the final five to lose it, Calumet defeated rival Houghton in three games to take back the trophy after two straight Houghton wins. The Copper Kings are ranked No. 4 in Class C. (Houghton Daily Mining Gazette)
West Iron ends near-decade of dominance: Iron River West Iron County had last won a District title in 2002, before nine straight by rival Iron Mountain. But the Wykons knocked out the Mountaineers in a Semifinal and came back from match point to score the final five and beat Ironwood for a Class C championship. (Escanaba Daily News)
Swimming and Diving
Holland still rules: Coming off their first MHSAA championship in 2011, the Dutch continue to roll and piled up seven O-K Green records in winning that league championship meet. Cassie Misiewicz and Holly Morren each set two individual marks. (Holland Sentinel)
Double Dow: Midland Dow won the Saginaw Valley League championship meet with 638 points, more than double that of the runner-up. The title was Dow's seventh straight. (Midland Daily News)
Wrestling
Longtime Napoleon coach steps down: Todd Anderson announced his resignation after running the program since 1990-91. His father Don Anderson started the program in 1967. (Jackson Citizen-Patriot)
Tennis
Forman is Mr. Tennis: Troy senior Brett Forman, the MHSAA Division 1 champion at No. 1 singles as a sophomore and runner-up this fall, was named Mr. Tennis by the Michigan High School Tennis Coaches Association. He finished his career with a 77-8 record. (Oakland Press)
Story of the Week
Kirsten fights on: A little more than a year ago, doctors found cancerous tumors throughout Kirsten Longstreth's body, including multiple in her lungs. But the Beaverton senior had fought back to nearly knock the cancer completely out, and while continuing to play sports including volleyball this fall. (Midland Daily News)
Flashback 100: 8-Player Football Finals Right at Home at Superior Dome
November 22, 2024
The MHSAA 8-Player Football Finals will be played Saturday for the eighth time at the Superior Dome at Northern Michigan University in Marquette — though that run of eight seasons has not been consecutive.
The MHSAA began sponsoring playoffs for 8-player football in 2011, initially with just one division. The first championship game was played at the Superior Dome, where Carsonville-Port Sanilac defeated Rapid River to claim the title.
From 2012 to 2016, Greenville High School hosted the Finals. In 2017, 8-player split into two divisions and the Finals returned to the Superior Dome, where two division champions were crowned in 2017, 2018, and 2019. The COVID-delayed 2020 8-Player Finals were played at the Legacy Center in Brighton, before the champonships returned in 2021 to Marquette, where they have since remained.
To recap: one year in Brighton, five years in Greenville, and this marks the eighth year at the Superior Dome.
Powers North Central is the only team to win a Final at all three locations. The Jets are undefeated in 8-player championship games, with five titles to their name — two in Greenville, two at the Superior Dome, and one in Brighton.
The Superior Dome, which opened in 1991, is the largest wooden dome in the world. It’s a geodesic dome, meaning its structure is based on a polyhedron lattice. You might recognize this design from the Spaceship Earth exhibit at Epcot. The dome stands 143 feet tall, has a diameter of 536 feet, and covers more than five acres. Its retractable artificial playing surface serves as the home field for the Northern Michigan University football, women’s lacrosse, and women’s track & field teams.
8-Player Football Finals at the Superior Dome
2011: Carsonville-Port Sanilac over Rapid River 59-20 (recap)
2017 Div. 1: Central Lake over Deckerville 32-30 (recap)
2017 Div. 2: Crystal Falls Forest Park over Portland St. Patrick 54-12 (recap)
2018 Div. 1: Morrice over Pickford 44-16 (recap)
2018 Div. 2: Rapid River over Onekama 30-18 (recap)
2019 Div. 1: Colon over Suttons Bay 26-24 (recap)
2019 Div. 2: Pickford over Portland St. Patrick 48-15 (recap)
2021 Div. 1: Adrian Lenawee Christian over Suttons Bay 31-20 (recap)
2021 Div. 2: Powers North Central over Colon 63-0 (recap)
2022 Div. 1: Martin over Merrill 74-24 (recap)
2022 Div. 2: Powers North Central over Mendon 66-26 (recap)
2023 Div. 1: Marin over Indian River Inland Lakes 30-26 (recap)
2023 Div. 2: Adrian Lenawee Christian over Marion 36-18 (recap)
Previous "Flashback 100" Features
Nov. 15: Leland Career Helps Set Stage for Glass' International Stardom - Read
Nov. 8: Future Baseball Pro Led Escanaba's Legendary Football Title Run - Read
Nov. 1: Michigan High School Baseball Trio Provide World Series Voices - Read
Oct. 25: Before Leading Free World, Ford Starred for Champion GR South - Read
Oct. 18: Mercy Links Legend Becomes World Golf Hall of Famer - Read
Oct. 11: Fisher Races to Finals Stardom on Way to U.S. Olympic First - Read
Oct. 4: Lalas Leaves High School Legacies on Ice & Pitch - Read
Sept. 27: Tamer's History-Making Run Starts in Dexter, Continues to Paris - Read
Sept. 20: Todd Martin’s Road to Greatness Starts at East Lansing - Read
Sept. 13: James Earl Jones, Dickson High Hoops to Hollywood Legend - Read
Sept. 6: Pioneers' Unstoppable Streak Stretches 9 Seasons - Read
Aug. 30: Detroit dePorres Rushes to 1995 Class CC Football Championship - Read