Did you see that? (9/17-9/23)
September 25, 2012
The crowning of a new MHSAA soccer scoring champion and some statewide showdowns in golf and volleyball headline the best of the week that was Sept. 17-23.
Soccer
Chatfield fills it up: Senior Aaron Chatfield, a forward for Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian, scored both of his team's goals in a 7-2 loss Friday to Elk Lake, but in doing so set the MHSAA career scoring record. He now has 174 goals, two more than former record holder Soony Saad of Dearborn. (Petoskey News)
Golf
Cougars edge Bulldogs: Two-time reigning MHSAA Division 4 champion Lansing Catholic edged Brighton 327-336 at the East Lansing Invitational on Sept. 17 at Walnut Hills Country Club. There were nine ranked teams in the 17-team field. Brighton is ranked No. 2 in Division 1. Lansing Catholic's Jacqueline Setas shot a 70 to take the individual medalist honor, and two of her teammates tied for second.
Volleyball
Blue streak: Richland Gull Lake downed Portage Central in three sets to win the Portage Central Invitational's gold division and a tournament the featured four teams ranked in Class A plus reigning champion Rockford and reigning Class B champion Fruitport (in A this season). Gull Lake moved up to No. 2 in Class A from No. 4 after the weekend, and Portage Central is No. 6. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
Tennis
Ludington on the move: The Orioles have moved up from No. 8 to No. 6 in the Division 4 rankings after downing formerly-No. 2 Grosse Pointe Woods University Liggett and No. 10 Almont at Saturday's Almont Invitational. (Mlive.com)
Cross Country
Flivver flies on: Kingsford's Dan Kulas claimed the individual championship at the Stephenson Invitational on Saturday in 16:58. He's won four straight races. (Iron Mountain Daily News)
Basketball
Pershing coach steps down: Detroit Pershing boys basketball coach A.W. Canada has resigned, but will remain with the program as an assistant. The Doughboys are regularly in contention in Class A, last winning the MHSAA title in 2009 after also making the Final in 2008. (Detroit News)
Story of the Week
Spring Lake setter lifts Lakers: It's been a little more than a year since Emily Blahnik's mother Brenda suffered a horrific fall that left her with a skull fracture, brain trauma and spinal cord injuries. But with her teammates and community in continuous support, Blahnik has remained a big part of Spring Lake's volleyball program. The Grand Haven Tribune has been covering this story throughout, and Nate Thompson provides us with this update. (Grand Haven Tribune)
Moment: 2 Years Later, Similar Cranes Capper
May 21, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The final half-minute of the 2015 Division 2 boys lacrosse championship game played out in an unbelievably similar fashion to the concluding 30 seconds just two seasons before for Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood.
Once again, the Cranes faced a 9-9 tie as they gathered for a final shot. And this time it was Johnny Wagner who sent it into the net, pushing his team past Okemos for a 10-9 season-ending victory.
Wagner had scored the game-winner just three days before when Cranbrook defeated Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central in their Semifinal. This time, Wagner clinched the championship by scoring his fifth goal of the game with 10.5 seconds to play after Okemos had tied the score with three straight goals – again, similar to Cranbrook’s 2013 title game win over Forest Hills Central.
"I did not see it go in," Wagner said during that June 7 postgame. "I thought the goalie saved it and everyone started jumping all over me. I got hit. I was shooting off my back foot. (But) I'm not complaining."
Wagner, who had scored three goals in the 2013 championship win as a sophomore, went on to play at Marquette University.
Click for coverage of the 2015 Final from Second Half and watch Wagner’s winner below from the NFHS Network.