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April 9, 2012
Check out our must-know scores and news from April 2-7.
(Click on links for coverage.)
Girls Soccer
It starts with one: Hart and Mason County Central played more than an hour before Hart scored the game's first goal with 15 minutes remaining Wednesday. Hart then scored six more to claim a 7-0 win in a game that was much closer for most of it. (Muskegon Chronicle)
Baseball
Rice takes early edge: Some of the state's best baseball is played in the Detroit Catholic League, and Bloomfield Hills Brother Rice took an early edge among conference favorites. On the arms of brothers Matt and Mike Ruppenthal, the Warriors -- ranked No. 6 in the Division 1 state poll -- swept Dearborn Divine Child, which is ranked No. 4 in Division 2. (MLive Detroit)
Another big start for Blissfield: The Royals won their own Farm Bureau Invitational, capping the effort with a 9-6 win over Temperance Bedford in the championship game. Blissfield is No. 10 in Division 3 and Bedford is No. 7 in Division 1. (Adrian Daily Telegram)
Early look at the top: Gobles and Decatur, Nos. 2 and 3 in the first state Division 4 poll, split a doubleheader. Neither will see many opponents as tough before they potentially meet again in the District. Notable: Gobles was Division 3 last season. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Boys Golf
Rankings posted: Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in Divsion 1, DeWitt in Division 2, Jackson Lumen Christi in Division 3 and Auburn Hills Oakland Christian in Division 4 top the first polls of the year by the Michigan Interscholastic Golf Coaches Association. (Click for full rankings)
Editor's note: Did we miss something? Comment below and tell us about it. Is there an event coming up that we should make sure to note? Comment or e-mail [email protected].
In Memoriam: Tom Stockton (1953-2026)
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
March 19, 2026
The MHSAA and statewide bowling community are mourning the loss of one of the high school sport’s pioneering leaders, Tom Stockton, who died March 5 at age 73. All would agree high school bowling in Michigan would not enjoy its current popularity and growing participation without his several contributions impacting schools near and far.
Stockton served as Sterling Heights Stevenson’s bowling coach for 29 years, including as co-coach of both the girls and boys teams that won Division 1 championships in 2009 after also coaching the boys to the Class A title in 2005. That first Finals win concluded the second season of bowling as an MHSAA-sponsored tournament sport – an effort in itself that defined Stockton’s dedication to the students taking part.
Stockton was a founding member of the Michigan High School Interscholastic Bowling Coaches Association (MHSIBCA) and served several years as first vice president. The MHSAA began its bowling sponsorship in 2003-04, and the first Finals in Class A, B and C-D were competed at Stevenson’s home center, Sunnybrook Lanes. As the sport expanded and Finals were separated to multiple centers, Stockton accepted the role as the MHSAA’s Class A, and then Division 1, Finals manager.
One of several benefits of adding bowling to the MHSAA calendar is that it has allowed several athletes the opportunity to compete representing their schools for the first time – something that helped drive Stockton’s dedication. He is also remembered as a mentor by many and an inspiration for the growth of the sport that now sees more than 7,000 bowlers annually.
Stockton was selected to the Michigan High School Coaches Association (MHSCA) Hall of Fame in 2020. He was a 1971 graduate of Warren High School. Click for his full obituary.
(Photos courtesy of the MHSIBCA.)