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: 3/3/20
March 3, 2020
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
The Girls Basketball District Tournament tipped off Monday and the biggest wave came out of the Upper Peninsula, where Gladstone set the tone as top-two seeds won 90 percent of their games but the other 10 percent earned most of the biggest headlines.
1. Girls Basketball: Gladstone earned the biggest upset of District opening night, draining a last-second 3-pointer to get past previously-undefeated Menominee 46-45 in Division 2 – Escanaba Daily Press
2. Girls Basketball: Flint Carman-Ainsworth won a Division 1 matchup of league champions, downing Flushing 48-38 – WJRT
3. Girls Basketball: Cadillac won a matchup of league champions in Division 2, downing Ludington 43-39 – Cadillac News
4. Girls Basketball: East Kentwood ended Byron Center’s 19-game winning streak with a 50-43 win in Division 1; both teams were league champions this winter – WZZM
5. Girls Basketball: Eaton Rapids upset a league champion in Chelsea 58-49 in overtime in a Division 2 opener – Chelsea Sun Times News
6. Girls Basketball: Mayville got past a league champion in Kinde-North Huron 43-41 in Division 4 – Huron Daily Tribune
7. Girls Basketball: Bridgeport also upset a league champion, downing Caro 56-35 in Division 2 – Saginaw News
8. Girls Basketball: Jackson Lumen Christi ended the season for another league champion in Springport, 42-39 in Division 3 – Jackson Citizen Patriot
9. Girls Basketball: Cass City opened Division 3 play with an upset, downing Harbor Beach 46-34 – Huron Daily Tribune
10. Girls Basketball: Megan Matson led a Division 4 upset with 33 points in Munising’s 51-47 win over Rock Mid Peninsula – Escanaba Daily Press
Also of note …
Girls Basketball: Kent City may have set an MHSAA record with 40 points in the first quarter of a big Division 3 win over Ravenna – Muskegon Chronicle
Boys Basketball: From Friday, Kinde-North Huron earned a share of the North Central Thumb League Stripes title with a big win over Akron-Fairgrove – Huron Daily Tribune
Boys Swimming & Diving: From Saturday, Battle Creek Lakeview – tied for No. 10 in Lower Peninsula Division 2 – locked up the Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference championship – WWMT
Boys Swimming & Diving: From Saturday, LPD1 Ann Arbor Pioneer finished nearly 200 points ahead of a field that included three more top-10 teams to win the Southeastern Conference Red championship meet – We Love Ann Arbor