Did You See That? (April 8-14)
April 30, 2013
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Near-constant rain – and for our northern schools, plenty of snow – has stalled many teams during this spring season.
But there still were plenty of notable performances as most schools returned last week from spring break and battled the elements to get back into the swing.
Below is a look, with links to coverage, of some of news and results that stuck out most:
Softball
Lake Orion mourns longtime coach: Former Lake Orion softball coach Denny Davis, who retired in 2009 with 503 wins and more than 30 seasons in the dugout, died after a heart attack on April 7. His funeral was Thursday. (Oakland Press)
Strong start: Sturgis opened its season with a no-hitter by pitcher Dominique Beach over Three Rivers in a 7-0 win. (Sturgis Journal)
Girls Tennis
Strong start II: Traverse City Central – a top team in Division 2 last season – beat Division 1 powers Midland Dow and Saline on Thursday at the Midland Tennis Center. Traverse City Central will play in Division 1 this spring. (Traverse City Record-Eagle)
Golf
Rockford rules Winding Creek: Through snow, wind and freezing temperatures, Rockford went low against 16 other teams to win Saturday’s Zeeland East Invitational with a score of 314. Junior A.J. Varekois shot a one-under 70 to finish as medalist. (Grand Rapids Press)
Soccer
Gull Lake golden: The Blue Devils beat rival Plainwell 2-1 on Friday in a game that likely gave Gull Lake some added push for the first Division 2 state rankings released today. Gull Lake is ranked No. 5 and Plainwell sits No. 6. (Kalamazoo Gazette)
MHSAA
Minter honored with Norris Award: Longtime MHSAA official and former assistant to the director Tom Minter has been named the Vern L. Norris Award winner for this year and will be honored at the MHSAA’s Officials’ Awards & Alumni Banquet on May 4 in East Lansing. Minter has officiated MHSAA games for 48 years and continues to serve as a clinician at training sessions all over the state. (Second Half)
Football
Mifsud heads to Parma Western: After 16 seasons leading a strong Dearborn program, coach Dave Mifsud was hired as the new leader of Parma Western’s last week. He led Dearborn to eight playoff berths over the last nine seasons – with 11-win finishes in 2004 and 2006. He is taking over a program seeking its first playoff appearance and coming off a 1-8 finish. (Jackson Citizen Patriot)
Monroe Jefferson’s Cisco steps down: After 47 seasons and more than 400 games leading Jefferson’s program, coach Marc Cisco announced his retirement last week. Including three more seasons as an assistant, he coached in the program for a half century. (Monroe Daily News)
Boys Track and Field
Northern wins Port Huron matchup: The boys track meet between Port Huron and Port Huron Northern came down to the day’s final event, the 1,600-meter relay. Northern finished seven seconds faster and a little more than four points better. (Port Huron Times-Herald)
Girls Lacrosse
Chargers survive Saline: Flint Powers Catholic, which missed last season’s Division 2 Semifinals via a one-goal loss to eventual runner-up Okemos, held off a comeback attempt by Saline to earn a 15-14 win Saturday. (Mlive.com)
Boys Lacrosse
Defining win: That’s how the Grand Haven Tribune defined the Buccaneers’ 12-7 victory over three-time Division 2 champion East Grand Rapids – which also has finished MHSAA runner-up in its division three times. (Grand Haven Tribune)
Today in the MHSAA: 2/5/18
February 5, 2018
By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor
Each weekday of the school year, we break down the top headlines courtesy of Michigan’s sports media.
Today's Top 10
1. Wrestling: Division 2 No. 9 Stevensville Lakeshore finished ahead of No. 6 Niles and Division 1 No. 10 Battle Creek Lakeview to complete a Southwestern Michigan Athletic Conference title with a league tournament win – St. Joseph Herald-Palladium
2. Hockey: After falling to Indiana power Culver Academy on Friday, Division 1 top-ranked Detroit Catholic Central came back to down Ohio power Cleveland St. Ignatius 6-1 at the MIHL Prep Hockey Showcase – Observer & Eccentric
3. Boys Swimming & Diving: Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 10 Detroit Catholic Central got past No. 4 Birmingham Brother Rice to win the Oakland County championship – Oakland Press
4. Boys Basketball: Foster Loyer scored 31 points in a 75-29 win over Bloomfield Hills to go over 2,000 for his career – Detroit Free Press
5. Girls Basketball: Morenci clinched a share of its first league title since 2004 with a 79-54 win over Ottawa Lake Whiteford in the Tri-County Conference – Adrian Daily Telegram
6. Cheer: Division 2 No. 2 Gibraltar Carlson claimed the overall title just ahead of host and No. 5 Southgate Anderson at the Southgate Invitational; No. 9 Dearborn Divine Child was third – Southgate News Herald
7. Boys Basketball: Ryan Arndt went over 1,000 career points for Bark River-Harris in its 85-45 win over Felch North Dickinson – Iron Mountain Daily News
8. Wrestling: Gladwin finished second at the Jack Pine Conference tournament to Beaverton, but by doing so clinched its first league title in the sport in more than a decade – Midland Daily News
9. Girls Basketball: Pittsford ran its winning streak to 70 with a 49-32 win over Athens, which entered the week also undefeated – Hillsdale Daily News
10. Wrestling: Division 1 No. 9 Hudsonville followed up a perfect regular-season run by winning the Ottawa-Kent Conference Red league tournament – Grand Rapids Press
Also of note …
Wrestling: Division 2 top-ranked Lowell celebrated nine individual champions on the way to winning the O-K White league tournament – Grand Rapids Press
Wrestling: Temperance Bedford and Tecumseh clinched Southeastern Conference division championships, with Bedford winning the overall league title – Adrian Daily Telegram
Wrestling: Edwardsburg finished off a second straight Wolverine Conference championship – Niles Daily Star
Wrestling: Coldwater followed a perfect dual run through the Interstate 8 Athletic Conference with a league tournament win – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Wrestling: Division 4 No. 8 Springport also followed a perfect dual run through the Big 8 Conference with a league tournament win – Coldwater Daily Reporter
Wrestling: Byron Center edged Holland with all 14 of its wrestlers placing to win the O-K Green league tournament – Grand Rapids Press
Wrestling: Belding placed 13 wrestlers to win big at the O-K Silver tournament – Grand Rapids Press
Boys Basketball: St. Clair edged Warren Woods Tower 58-55 to clinch the Macomb Area Conference Gold championship – Port Huron Times Herald
Wrestling: Gladstone saw eight champions crowned in winning the Mid-Peninsula Conference team championship – Escanaba Daily Press
Wrestling: Brownstown Woodhaven won the Downriver League meet to share the overall league title with Southgate Anderson for the second straight season – Southgate News Herald
Wrestling: Division 3 No. 2 Richmond and Division 1 No. 1 Detroit Catholic Central added league tournament championships as well – Macomb Daily
Wrestling: Division 4 No. 3 Mendon, Comstock, Schoolcraft and Colon were among others that clinched wrestling league tournament titles – JoeInsider.com
Boys Swimming & Diving: LPD2 No. 5 Warren DeLaSalle won its sixth straight Macomb County championship – Macomb Daily
Girls Basketball: Charlevoix scored the final 13 points over 1:13 to beat Traverse City St. Francis 50-48 to create a first-place tie between the two in the Lake Michigan Conference – Traverse City Record-Eagle