Did You See That? (April 29-May 5)

May 7, 2013

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The resignation of one of Michigan's winningest boys basketball coaches made arguably the biggest headlines during a week that also saw sad news about two more coaches who will be remembered fondly in their respective communities. 

But before we get to those, here's also a look at the story of another coach making his way back from a challenging situation: 

Good Read of the Week

DeWitt welcomed back by his teams: Last Monday's Holland Calvary vs. Holland Freedom Christian baseball doubleheader at Fifth Third Ballpark was more than just a chance to play some big games on a bigger-than-usual stage. The teams also welcomed coach Lanny DeWitt, who coaches basketball at Calvary and baseball and Freedom Christian and is recovering from a stroke suffered March 20. (Holland Sentinel)

Boys Basketball/Volleyball

Keener leaves for Arizona: Detroit Country Day boys basketball coach Kurt Keener – whose 678 victories are second in MHSAA history only to legendary River Rouge coach Lofton Greene – announced he was leaving Country Day after 35 years Friday to move to Arizona, where he will coach a high school team in Scottsdale. Keener led Country Day this winter to its ninth MHSAA boys hoops title. (Oakland Press)

Mona Shores hires veteran leaders: Muskegon Mona Shores announced Wednesday that it hired former Muskegon Community College athletic director and men’s basketball coach Gene Gifford to take over its boys hoops program, and former Fruitport coach Dan Potts to take over the volleyball program. Potts led Fruitport to the 2005 MHSAA Class B championship. (Muskegon Chronicle)

Girls Basketball

Detroit mourns Knott: The Detroit Public School League and its basketball community are mourning the death of recently-retired Detroit Cody girls hoops coach Charles Knott, who was reportedly shot and killed Tuesday. Knott – hired at Cody in 1988 – was a graduate of Detroit Southeastern and also coached softball during his tenure.  (Detroit News)

Softball

D2 powers split: Division 2 No. 4 Coloma and honorable mention Portland split a doubleheader Wednesday. Portland won the first 1-0 before Coloma handed the Raiders their first loss this season, 2-1. (Ionia Sentinel-Standard)

Stevenson surges: Sterling Heights Stevenson moved up to No. 1 in Division 1 this week in part because of a split Saturday against previously top-ranked and now No. 5-Mattawan. (Kalamazoo Gazette)

Boys Golf

Lansing Catholic dominates: The Cougars, keyed by senior Jacob Johnson and junior Brent Marshall, won Friday’s Capital Area Activities Conference Open by nine strokes over East Lansing. The event matches the teams from all four divisions of the CAAC, which currently includes four top 10-ranked teams including Division 2 No. 1 Haslett and Lansing Catholic – which is No. 1 in Division 3.  (Lansing State Journal)

Lakeview cards record: Battle Creek Lakeview shot a 290 during the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Association Championships last week at Island Hills Golf Club in Centreville, breaking the previous team record of 295 shot in 2010. Lakeview is ranked No. 5 in Division 1. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

Girls Track and Field

Bark River-Harris reigns in Central U.P.: The Broncos – who finished ninth at last season’s MHSAA Upper Peninsula Division 3 Final – clinched their second Central Upper Peninsula Conference title in three seasons Tuesday by edging Rapid River by nine points and Eben Junction Superior Central by 43. Superior Central was runner-up at that MHSAA Division 3 Final last spring.  (Escanaba Daily Press)

Boys Track and Field

Algonac tops at Muskrat Classic: Algonac not only won the Division 2 portion of its annual invitational, but scored 100 points to top all of the Division 1 schools as well. (Port Huron Times-Herald)

Baseball

Hessbrook throws third no-hitter: Ithaca’s Logan Hessbrook threw not only his third no-hitter of the season Thursday, but his second straight as the Yellowjackets downed St. Charles 15-0 and then 4-0 in a doubleheader. He had seven strikeouts in seven innings. (Saginaw News)

DCC gains big split: Unranked Detroit Catholic Central earned a 9-8 win over No. 3 Birmingham Brother Rice on Thursday before falling 4-1 in the second game. (Mlive Detroit)

Football

Williams heads to Ypsilanti: Lamanzer Williams – who played at the University of Minnesota and also has served as football coach at Kalamazoo Central and Inkster – has resigned as Holland High football coach after one season to become athletic director at the new Ypsilanti Community High School. (AnnArbor.com)

Grand Rapids mourns Julian: Former Grand Rapids West Catholic and Grand Rapids Community College football coach Fred Julian died Saturday after a battle against prostate cancer. The Detroit Pershing grad taught and coached at West Catholic for 16 seasons and also played professionally for the old American Football League’s New York Titans. (Grand Rapids Press)

Wrestling

Boyer nears end at Pennfield: Larry Boyer, who led Battle Creek Pennfield's wrestling team to a 1992 MHSAA title, will retire from the school after this spring and 36 years including the last 13 as athletic director. He also has coached football and track and field. (Battle Creek Enquirer)

Today in the MHSAA: 2/23/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

February 23, 2026

1. GIRLS SWIMMING & DIVING Marquette won its fifth-straight MHSAA Final behind four first places from Kaytlin Roell – MHSAA.com

2. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING The Sentinels ran their Finals championship streak to seven – MHSAA.com

3. BOWLING The Monroe St. Mary Catholic Central girls won their first Regional championship in this sport and also had the singles champion at their Division 4 events – Monroe News

4. BOYS BASKETBALL Flint Elite downed Flint Hamady 55-51 in the Genesee Area Conference championship game – WJRT

5. BOYS BASKETBALL St. Joseph Michigan Lutheran clinched the Berrien-Cass-St. Joseph Conference championship with a 55-54 win over St. Joseph Our Lady of the Lake – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium

6. INDIVIDUAL WRESTLING Gavin Woodcox set a Mancelona wins record in advancing from his Division 4 Regional – Traverse City Record-Eagle

7. BOWLING The Division 1 No. 2 Macomb Dakota girls made a late move to get past No. 5 Macomb L’Anse Creuse North and win their Division 1 Team Regional – Macomb Daily

8. COMPETITIVE CHEER Allen Park Cabrini advanced to Regionals for the first time during Division 4 District competition – Southgate News-Herald

9. ICE HOCKEY No. 5 Calumet advanced to a Division 3 Regional Final with a 4-3 win over No. 10 Painesdale Jeffers – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

10. BOWLING Twins Delaney Vanier and Jameson Vanier won Regional titles in Division 2 – Flint Journal

Also of note …

BASKETBALL Petoskey’s girls defeated Alpena  to win the Big North Conference title outright, and Harbor Springs Harbor Light Christian’s boys won the Northern Lakes Conference with a 63-60 win over Burt Lake Northern Michigan Christian – Petoskey News-Review

BOYS BASKETBALL Central Montcalm downed White Cloud to clinch the outright title in the Central State Activities Association White – Greenville Daily News

BOYS BASKETBALL Fruitport capped a repeat Ottawa-Kent Conference Silver title run with a 65-42 win over Grandville Calvin Christian – Grand Haven Tribune

BOYS BASKETBALL Hillman clinched the North Star League Little Dipper co-championship with Posen with a win over Au Gres-Sims – Alpena News

GIRLS BASKETBALL Reed City’s Morgan Hammond reached 1,000 career points during a win over Howard City Tri County – Big Rapids Pioneer