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: 1/5/26

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

January 5, 2026

1. BOYS WRESTLING Top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central edged No. 4 Brighton by a point to win its invitational, which featured four of the top six ranked teams in Division 1 – Detroit Catholic Central athletics

2. BOYS BASKETBALL Stevie Hall scored his 1,000th career point and the game winner in Detroit Cass Tech’s 54-52 win over Cleveland Central Catholic at the Detroit Public School League Holiday Classic – Detroit Free Press

3. GIRLS WRESTLING LeRoy Pine River clinched the Montague Invitational with Kaylee Gibson’s win over No. 2-ranked Lowell in the day’s final match – Cadillac News

4. BOYS WRESTLING Division 2 No. 7 Freeland repeated as Saginaw County champion – Saginaw News

5. BOYS BASKETBALL Michael Lindquist became the second Greenville boys basketball player to reach 1,000 points, doing so during a 71-56 win over Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central – Grand Rapids Press

6. GIRLS WRESTLING Bay City John Glenn won the championship at the Reed City Invitational by 30 points – Bay City Times

7. GIRLS BOWLING Rockford defeated reigning Division 4 champion Ravenna to clinch the Fruitport Invitational title – Rockford Athletics

8. ICE HOCKEY Division 3 No. 4 Houghton defeated Division 1 No. 7 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central 5-1 and No. 5 Brighton 6-1 during a downstate trip – Houghton Daily Mining Gazette

9. GIRLS BASKETBALL Saginaw Heritage handed DeWitt its first loss, 60-55 in double overtime – Saginaw News

10. BOYS SWIMMING & DIVING Spring Lake – ranked No. 8 in Lower Peninsula Division 3 – set 34 personal records in winning its home invitational – Local Sports Journal

Also of note …

MHSAA Longtime Catholic High School League director Vic Michaels, a member of the MHSAA Representative Council for more than two decades, died at age 71 – Oakland Press

MEDIA The Detroit and statewide media communities are mourning the death of the Detroit News’ longtime prep sports reporter Dave Goricki – Detroit News

FOOTBALL Lansing Eastern hired Dan Boggan – the winningest coach in Lansing Sexton history – to take over the program – Lansing State Journal