Jackson Area Efforts Net New Officials
February 16, 2016
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Recruitment of new high school officials to eventually take the reins from those currently conducting MHSAA events is a challenge faced all over Michigan.
The Jackson Area Officials Association is working to restock its ranks by recruiting directly from local schools and developing them with help from veteran mentors.
Eight new officials – ages 15 to 24 – who worked a series of youth and middle school games together earlier this month, are among those who have been introduced through a program that begins with a meeting at the end of the high school basketball season between JAOA official Bill Walker and local athletic directors, coaches, fellow officials and other young adults he’s made contact with over the course of a season. From that meeting, Walker builds a list of potential candidates to become officials and then invites them to the annual JAOA Legacy Camp in June.
The camp includes two days of scrimmages between local teams, plus classroom and mechanics teaching. Similar to the MHSAA Legacy program, new officials are paired with veterans, and clinicians evaluate their work during scrimmage play. Walker then keeps in touch with the new officials during the rest of the summer, plugging them in for local youth tournaments and scrimmages, and uses as many as possible while assigning officials for youth tournaments over the winter.
All eight officials who worked the event this month are part of the JAOA legacy partnering, and some of the group already are working games at the junior varsity level – with one, a 19-year-old, recently completing his first varsity game. They come from a variety of Jackson-area schools – Parma Western, Napoleon, Jackson Christian, Michigan Center, Concord and East Jackson. Walker said the recruiting effort has a 60 percent success rate so far. (This June’s legacy camp will be the third.)
“By next season, all (eight) will be official MHSAA registered officials,” he said, noting most currently are registered. “It’s great to have these schools support this program. We all benefit from added, good officiating.”
Passing it forward
Our Battle of the Fans trip to Charlotte on Friday included a conversation about a Feb. 2 game between the Orioles and Mason, which has a pair of athletes fighting cancer. The Charlotte student section dressed in blue that night in support of junior Storm Miller, and during halftime passed buckets to raise money for Miller’s GoFundMe account set up to help pay for his care.
Mason, in turn, provided support Friday to an Owosso alum, 2012 graduate Cody Greger, who remains hospitalized at University of Michigan’s hospital with injuries sustained during a house fire in November. Fans and students collected donations to assist Greger’s family with his care.
“This event was yet another example of the values that school sports teach young people,” Owosso athletic director Dallas Lintner wrote on the school’s website. “And it stands as a testament of the integrity of the young adults that represent our schools and the (Capital Area Activities Conference.)."
100 years of hoops
A decade before the formation of the Michigan High School Athletic Association, Eastern Michigan University – then known as Michigan State Normal College – hosted what is believed to be the first organized high school basketball tournament in state history.
EMU will celebrate this anniversary Saturday in conjunction with the Eagles men’s basketball game against Toledo. Game time is noon at EMU’s Convocation Center, and during a break in play the athletic department will recognize the 12 schools that took part in that 1916 tournament – Marine City, Dundee, Milan, Mancelona, Farmington, Elkton, Royal Oak, Middleville, Lansing, Mount Clemens, Wayne and Saline.
More history, courtesy of EMU:
The game of basketball was developed by James Naismith in 1891 at Springfield College in Massachusetts. As a means of promoting the game throughout the country, physical education professor and EMU's first athletic director Wilber Bowen asked his good friend Naismith to bring the game to the Michigan State Normal College (now known as Eastern Michigan University).
The first basketball game west of the Allegheny Mountains was played at Michigan Normal in 1894 to recognize the new physical education program and to dedicate the new gymnasium on campus.
Then in 1916, Bowen, along with instructors Elmer Mitchell and Lloyd Olds (who was also credited with the introduction of the striped referee jersey), organized the first high school basketball tournament in Michigan. A total of 300 invitations were sent out to all Class B schools in the state. Twelve schools responded, and the first high school boys tournament was held on the Ypsilanti-based campus on March 23-25, 1916.
Entrance to the tournament was free and (the event was) played at the Michigan State Normal School Gymnasium. However, expenses related to transportation, room, and board had to be provided by the participating schools. The MSNC's Physical Education Department made it easier for schools to participate by making arrangements with local residents to provide food at 20 to 25 cents a meal and lodging at 25 cents a night for each player.
That first tournament saw Marine City defeat Dundee in the championship game, 23-22.
The winning team was awarded a silver shield mounted on an oak base. Second prize was a silver cup, and the third place team received a banner. Individual participation awards to all players were also provided. The Ypsilanti Press at the time felt the Normal School "went first class with the awards."
For tickets to Saturday’s game and event, which will be followed by the EMU women’s team taking on Northern Illinois, call the EMU Ticket Office at (734) 487-2282 or visit EMUEagles.com/tickets.
Following up
• Second Half’s Chip Mundy this fall wrote a story on the emergence of Ida’s football team on the way to making the Division 5 Semifinals and finishing its best season ever. A theme of that story was Ida’s philosophy of building “brick by brick,” coined by defensive line coach Gary Deland, who himself was building back after emergency triple-bypass heart surgery.
“From that very first practice in the summer to the last game as a senior, everything is built brick by brick,” Deland said for that story. “I can draw a correlation between that and my recovery, what I’ve gone through. It’s the same thing. It’s brick by brick.”
Kim Farver sent along this photo of Deland holding up a brick after the team’s 43-20 Regional Final win over Buchanan.
• We released the last batch of this year’s MHSAA-Farm Bureau Insurance Scholar-Athlete Award winners today, and one of the highlights during the 27 years of the contest came two years ago when we caught up with some of our winners from the first 25 years – including Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook-Kingswood’s Abby Cohen, who has gone on to co-found a company and help develop a smartphone application, Wing, to help asthma patients monitor their lung function.
Here’s a look at a video describing the technology she’s helped create:
Block Party: 2025 Girls Volleyball District Preview
By
Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor
November 3, 2025
Nearly 700 high school varsity volleyball teams will begin their marches toward MHSAA championships over the next three days, beginning a final three-week run that will conclude Nov. 22 at Battle Creek’s Kellogg Arena.
District tournaments start tonight with 178 matches. Links to interactive brackets for all four divisions plus information on purchasing tickets is available on the Girls Volleyball page, and a list version of tonight’s slate is posted on the Scores page – with green TV icons linked to broadcasts on the NFHS Network.
Below is a look at a few last regular-season results of note and glances at three Districts in each division that especially pop off the page. Records, results and schedules below are those posted for teams on MHSAA.com, and rankings reflect polls posted by the Michigan Interscholastic Volleyball Coaches Association.
Week in Review
The countdown of last week’s five most intriguing results:
1. Kingsley d. Traverse City St. Francis (25-20, 25-21) This was the most notable result from the annual ABCD quad, as Kingsley (50-4-1) is ranked No. 3 in Division 3 and St. Francis is No. 8 (28-16-0).
2. Coldwater d. Mendon (2-25, 25-22, 22-25, 25-22, 15-3) The Cardinals (22-17-5) head into Division 1 District play off avenging a loss from 11 days prior to the Division 4 top-ranked Hornets (32-6-1).
3. Marshall d. Edwardsburg (25-23, 25-21, 15-25, 25-15) Honorable mention Marshall (31-11-5) got a nice boost heading into Division 2 District play, adding a second win this season over the No. 9 Eddies (28-8-0).
4. Adrian Madison d. Concord (23-25, 26-24, 25-15) The Trojans (34-14-2) came back after losing the first set to add a second win this season (plus a draw) against the Division 4 No. 6 Yellow Jackets (26-10-3).
5. Lowell d. Battle Creek Harper Creek (25-14, 25-15) The Division 1 No. 8 Red Arrows (35-8-3) also swept Mattawan and Caledonia at their regular-season ending quad, but with this matchup with the Division 2 honorable mention Beavers (27-21-1) perhaps most notable from the final tune-up.
Districts at a Glance
These could be among our most competitive brackets. Host sites are in bold, and top two seeds at each are noted.
DIVISION 1
Cadillac
#1 Cadillac (34-7-1), #2 Mount Pleasant (26-9-1), Midland (25-8-4), Midland Dow (21-13-5), Bay City Western (20-16-4).
All five of these teams have winning records, with Big North Conference co-champion Cadillac holding down the top seed and potentially looking for a chance to avenge after seeing last season end against Mount Pleasant in a District Semifinal. Those two met only once this regular season, a 2-1 Mount Pleasant win at the Flint Powers Catholic Tournament. The Oilers also won their division of the Saginaw Valley League and went a combined 6-0 against the other three SVL teams in this week’s field.
Northville
#1 South Lyon East (37-7-1), #2 South Lyon (33-9-0), Northville (19-13-0), Salem (12-11-0), Canton (7-17-0), Plymouth (8-26-0).
South Lyon East has won its last 11 matches, is the only team in the state to defeat top-ranked Rockford, has a pair of wins over rival South Lyon and defeated Northville in their lone meeting as well. But South Lyon will certainly be prepared to challenge its rival one more time and has won nine of its last 10 matches with a victory over Clarkston during that run. And don’t count out Northville – last season’s Division 1 champion – which has seen several of the state’s best and did defeat East in last year’s District Final.
Troy Athens
#1 Bloomfield Hills Marian (43-5-0), #2 Bloomfield Hills (37-6-1), Troy Athens (21-6-1), Bloomfield Hills Cranbrook Kingswood (10-11-3), Birmingham Seaholm (12-22-2), Troy (1-29-0).
Marian and Bloomfield Hills High have hovered among the top-ranked teams in the state all season, with the Black Hawks holding a 2-1 match advantage as Marian won their first meeting Sept. 4 but Bloomfield Hills claimed the next two including in a three-set comeback Oct. 25. Marian made the Division 1 Semifinals last season and has won District championships nine straight seasons. Host Athens has enjoyed a notable six-win jump from a year ago and won 11 of its last 12 matches.
DIVISION 2
Adrian
#1 Tecumseh (51-2-0), #2 Adrian Madison (34-14-2), Chelsea (32-11-2), Brooklyn Columbia Central (23-16-0), Adrian (15-21-1), Michigan Center (14-23-2).
Last season’s Division 2 runner-up Tecumseh has certainly earned its way to the top seed this week with its only losses this season to Division 3 top-ranked Roscommon and Division 1 No. 6 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Northern. Tecumseh also has two wins apiece over Chelsea, Columbia Central, Adrian and Madison, and Chelsea and Madison could meet Wednesday to set up one last rematch. Madison defeated Chelsea in three sets during the Sept. 20 Onsted Tournament.
Caro
#1 North Branch (32-8-0), #2 Imlay City (33-9-0), Yale (23-24-1), Croswell-Lexington (25-24-0), Caro (1-20-0).
A District Final matchup between North Branch and Imlay City would be the third meeting in three weeks between the Blue Water Area Conference rivals, with North Branch winning during the league schedule Oct. 21 and again in the league tournament four days later, both in three-set sweeps. The Broncos are ranked No. 2 and Imlay City No. 7 statewide in Division 2, and if they meet once more it will be with North Branch’s 20-year District title streak on the line.
Saginaw Swan Valley
#1 Essexville Garber (39-13-3), #2 Saginaw Swan Valley (22-13-1), Freeland (24-15-2), Carrollton (31-2-2), Bay City John Glenn (10-18-1), Bridgeport (1-13-0).
Garber is the top seed after reaching the Division 2 Semifinals a year ago and taking Tecumseh to a fifth set in Battle Creek. But no matter which opponent the Dukes might face if they reach the District Final this week, they’ll surely be cautious. Garber defeated Swan Valley in four sets two weeks ago, but fell to Freeland in five in their league meeting Sept. 24. And Carrollton definitely is intriguing with its only losses to Division 3 No. 9 Saginaw Valley Lutheran and a strong Breckenridge team.4
DIVISION 3
Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker
#1 Cass City (22-8-2), #2 Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker (19-14-3), Bad Axe (26-14-0), Unionville-Sebewaing (16-15-4), Harbor Beach (15-17-3).
Although Cass City is a combined 7-0 this season against Laker, Bad Axe and USA, there is potential for some shaking up in this bracket as those opponents all are familiar with each other. Cass City won two matches against Laker, both in four sets, and Laker has two wins in three matches against Bad Axe, both victories coming in five sets. Laker and Bad Axe could meet Wednesday with another opportunity to see Cass City on the line – but Harbor Beach and USA have made enough noise during the season to make this unpredictable.
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central
#1 Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central (20-4-1), #2 Clinton (31-5-1), Ottawa Lake Whiteford (20-12-0), Erie Mason (13-13-3), Blissfield (8-28-1), Ypsilanti Arbor Prep (7-9-1).
Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central is the reigning Division 3 champion and again has seen its share of top competition from multiple divisions. The Kestrels are coming off a loss to league rival Flat Rock, and Clinton – which made the Regional Finals a year ago – will try to jump into the mix with 11 wins over its last 13 matches and losses as well to some of the best in Divisions 2 and 4 including Tecumseh and Mendon. Whiteford also recently tested itself against several larger opponents, going 3-3 at the Belleville Invitational on Oct. 18.
Morley Stanwood
#1 Morley Stanwood (26-12-0), #2 Kent City (31-7-2), White Cloud (16-16-0), Lakeview (14-13-3), Blanchard Montabella (3-26-1).
Host Morley Stanwood and Kent City met three times during the regular season, splitting league matchups with Kent City winning the first, Morley Stanwood the second, but then Kent City coming back to win the third at the Central State Activities Association Tournament – and after losing the first set. That turnaround may provide Kent City with nice momentum if they meet again, although the Eagles did go 2-2 in matches last week. White Cloud lost twice to both this fall, but did take a set off Kent City in their second meeting Oct. 14.
DIVISION 4
Non-Traditional (top line of bracket hosts)
#1 Hancock (24-4-2), #2 Lake Linden-Hubbell (24-5-0), Baraga (21-10-0), Dollar Bay (19-11-0), Chassell (13-11-0), L’Anse (8-19-0).
Hancock burst back on the scene by making last season’s Division 4 Semifinals, and while it would be easy to look ahead to a potential Regional matchup next week with Crystal Falls Forest Park, the Bulldogs have to be cautious this week to make that happen. They’ve seen Lake Linden-Hubbell twice, winning both times in four sets, and Baraga and Dollar Bay have impressed as well – Baraga nearly flipping its record from a year ago. Lake Linden-Hubbell closed the regular season with a sweep of Dollar Bay, but Dollar Bay won their previous meeting in five and should present quite a challenge if it advances to Wednesday.
Bear Lake
#1 Onekama (32-9-3), #2 Suttons Bay (23-2-0), Leland (12-27-1), Frankfort (15-17-2), Bear Lake (16-23-0), Lake Leelanau St. Mary (4-26-3).
Onekama is a combined 11-2-1 over its last 14 matches and 5-0 this season against teams in this bracket as the Portagers seek a sixth-straight District title. They played Suttons Bay to a five-set win on Sept. 25, taking the first two and losing the next pair before winning the decider. Suttons Bay’s only other loss this season came to Division 3 contender Traverse city St. Francis, and the Norsemen defeated both possible Wednesday opponents Leland and St. Mary in a quad Oct. 23.
Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy
#1 Hillsdale Academy (21-11-1), #2 Concord (26-10-3), Hillsdale Will Carleton Academy (18-7-3), Pittsford (13-12-0).
The bracket also is filled with teams with winning records, with Hillsdale Academy an honorable mention and Concord ranked No. 6 in the most recent coaches poll. Hillsdale Academy has lost four of its last six matches, but those defeats came to Division 2 or 3 teams, or top-ranked Mendon, and Colts have wins in lone matches against Concord and Pittsford. Concord went 2-2 to close the regular season, but also with losses to Division 2 and 3 teams. Will Carleton and Pittsford have split a pair of meetings over the last three weeks.
PHOTOS (Top) Detroit Country Day hosts Hartland on Oct. 9. (Middle) Bath faces Brooklyn Columbia Central during the Mason Invitational on Sept. 13. (Country Day/Hartland photo by TCP-Photography. Bath/Ovid-Elsie photo by Click by Christine McCallister.)