Did you see that?
May 7, 2012
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Michigan high school athletes are accomplishing great things so quickly this spring, we're missing one every once in a while -- which is why we'll kick off this week's "Did you see that?" with a finish from 10 days ago that we found out more about last week.
Girls Track and Field
Moving up fast: The Grosse Pointe South 3,200-meter relay team of Haley Meier, Hannah Meier, Ersula Farrow and Kelsie Schwartz ran a blistering 8:59.69 to lead their team to a championship at the Michigan State Spartan Invitational on April 27. That's nearly six seconds faster than Rochester's all-MHSAA Finals record set in 2010. (Mlive Detroit)
Golf
This time, it’s FHC: Top-ranked Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and No. 2 Muskegon Mona Shores are waging a back-and-forth battle not just to be called west Michigan’s top team, but the best in Division 1 overall. Forest Hills Central won the Ranger Invitational by seven strokes Saturday over Mona Shores. (Grand Rapids Press)
Ram tough: The Capital Area Activities Conference includes four teams ranked either in Division 2 or 3 – Division 2 No. 1 DeWitt, Division 2 No. 4 East Lansing, Division 3 No. 1 Jackson Lumen Christi and Division 3 No. 4 Lansing Catholic. But it was unranked Division 1 team Holt that claimed the CAAC Open by four strokes Friday. (Lansing State Journal)
Soccer
Streak over: Scoring two goals in each half Tuesday, Traverse City Central broke Petoskey’s 35-game Big North unbeaten streak with a 4-0 win over the still first-place Northmen. (Petoskey News)
Football
Changes coming in the PSL: School closings and mergers this June will significantly change the football landscape in the Detroit Public School League, home of reigning Division 1 champion Detroit Cass Tech. The formerly four-division league will switch to two divisions. Two schools are closing and two more are forming a new school. (Detroit News)
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].
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