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)
More Football Classic on FOX Sports Detroit
July 7, 2020
By John Johnson
MHSAA Director of Broadcast Properties
Another series of MHSAA Football Finals “Classics” will be shown on FOX Sports Detroit on Friday.
Here’s the complete schedule:
Noon – 2012 Division 1 Final: Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice vs. Muskegon – A wild fourth quarter ended with Brother Rice scoring on a 91-yard gadget kick return by Jason Alessi to claim a 35-28 win. With the score tied at 21-21, Rice scored on a 77 yard flea-flicker pass from Alex Malzone to Corey Lacanaria. The Big Reds returned the favor just three plays later with Deshaun Thrower hitting Keondre Craig on a 51-yard scoring play to set the stage for the ensuing kickoff and the win for the Warriors.
2:30 p.m. – 2012 Division 3 Final: Grand Rapids Christian vs. Orchard Lake St. Mary’s – This game had three lead changes during the final period before Christian’s Joel Schipper sent it to overtime at 37-37 with a 28-yard field goal with four seconds left in regulation. When St. Mary’s failed in overtime, Schipper came right back out and nailed a 27-yard kick for the 40-37 victory. Key was the play of Drake Harris, who had eight catches for a Finals-record 243 yards and one score.
5:30 p.m. – 2015 Division 2 Final: Detroit Martin Luther King vs. Lowell – In the only MHSAA Football Final decided as time expires, Armani Posey’s 40-yard Hail Mary pass was caught in the end zone by Donnie Corley to give King a 40-38 victory. Posey directed the Crusaders 95 yards in six plays over 37 seconds during the game-winning drive. Lowell led all the way until the final snap, with Max Dean scoring three times and Ryan Stevens scoring once. Posey completed 19 of 27 passes in the game with no INTs and five touchdowns – two to Corley and two to Lavert Hill.
8 p.m. - 2018 Division 1 Final: Clinton Township Chippewa Valley vs. Clarkston – It all came down to a 2-point conversion attempt by Clarkston which was foiled by the Chippewa Valley defense in this thriller. The Wolves pulled to within a point at 31-30 with 23 seconds to play when Matt Miller took in a seven-yard scoring pass from Jake Jenson; Clarkston decided to go for the win. Chippewa Valley QB Tommy Schuster was a perfect 14-for-14 passing for 209 yards and two touchdowns.
Some portions of the games may be edited out due to time constraints.