Grayling Plays On as Healing Continues

December 15, 2014

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

The Grayling community was rocked by a two-vehicle collision in 2013 that resulted in the deaths of a coach, a golfer and another passenger in the other vehicle, as well as numerous serious injuries, while the boys golf team was driving to a tournament. 

As the community began to heal, the team played the rest of the 2013 season for classmates who could not. Last spring, more than 30 golfers came out as the team fell just one place short of making the MHSAA Finals but sent an individual, Jake Hinkle, to the Lower Peninsula Division 3 tournament at Grand Valley State University.  

In a few short months, Grayling's boys golf team will again begin the journey to play at the Finals as a team, backed by a community that continues to rally. 

The NBC Golf Channel tells this incredible story below:

Today in the MHSAA: 10/5/15

October 5, 2015

By Geoff Kimmerly
Second Half editor

One of the final weekends of the regular season included a record-setting performance in tennis and another in boys soccer, plus elite county-wide competition in swimming and diving.

Cross Country

Unranked Grand Haven finished ahead of Lower Peninsula Division 1 No. 10 Grand Rapids Forest Hills Central and Division 2 No. 5 Cadillac to win the large-school girls race at the Allendale Invitational – Grand Haven Tribune

Boys Soccer

Josh Busscher scored what would go down as the fastest goal (once confirmed) off the opening kickoff in MHSAA history, sending a shot into Division 4 No. 5 Muskegon Western Michigan Christian’s net four seconds in as Division 2 No. 1 Holland Christian went on to a 4-1 win – Grand Rapids Press

Girls Swimming and Diving

Battle Creek Lakeview won its All-City championship meet for the 12th straight season – Battle Creek Enquirer

Utica Eisenhower won the Macomb County Championships for the second straight year, setting a number of meet records in the process – Macomb Daily

Farmington Hills Mercy won the Oakland County meet for the 11th straight year and set meet records in the opening and closing relays – Oakland Press

Boys Tennis

Midland Dow’s Michael Szabo set what would be the MHSAA record for career singles wins, earning his 142nd and 143rd to surpass former Dow standout Johnathan Gurnee – Midland Daily News

LP Division 4 No. 6 Ludington and No. 5 Whitehall tied for the Coastal Conference tournament championship, with Ludington winning the overall league title thanks to a perfect dual match record – Muskegon Chronicle

Volleyball

Mount Morris, down to No. 6 in Class B, could jump back up the poll after beating Class A honorable mention Farmington Hills Mercy in its tournament final and finishing first ahead of a field including Class A No. 1 Novi and No. 2 Lake Orion – Flint Journal